INIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

THi:  SLOSS  tOLLKLTlON  i)V  THK  SEMITIC   I.IHKAKV 
OF  THE   LMVKKSITV  OF  CALIF(>KMA. 

CI  FT  OF 

LOUIS  SLOSS. 

February.  1897.                            y.  ^.^    ^ 

Accession  M).  ^^{) ^  7  .     CLns  Nck ^J^_     . 

c_ 

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THE    CHALDEAN    ACCOUNT 
OF    GENESIS. 


<^%^ 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR. 


ASSYRIAN    EXPLORATIONS    AND 
DISCOVERIES. 

Of  the    Oriental  Department  of  the    British   M?iseiim. 

One   vol.,   Svo,    cloth,    with  numerous  illustrations,   maps, 
photographs,   plans,   etc.,   $4.00. 

Sent.,  post-paid,  on  receipt  of  price  by  the  Publishers, 

SCRIBNER,  ARMSTRONG  &-  CO., 

743  &  745  Broadway,  New  York. 


% 


THE 


CHALDEAN  ACCOUNT  OF  GENESIS, 

CONTAINING 

THE    DESCRIPTION   OF    THE    CREATION",  THE  FALL   OF    MAN, 

THE   DELUGE,    THE    TOWER    OF    BABEL,    THE 

TEVIES    OF    THE    PATRIARCHS, 

AND  NBIROD: 

BABYLONIAN  FABLES,  AND  LEGENDS  OP  THE  GODS ; 

FROM  THE  CUNEIFORM  INSCRIPTIONS. 


BY    GEORGE    SMITH, 

OF  TEE  CEFABTMENT  OF    OEIENTAL    ANTIQUITIES,   BRITISH    MTSBUM, 

AUTHOE  OF   "history  OF  ASSUEBANIPAL," 

"  ASSYRIAN  DISCOVERIES," 

ETC.,   ETC. 


JFITir  ILL  USTBA  TlOJSfS. 


NEW    YOKK: 
SCEIBNER,    AHMSTEONG    &    CO, 

1S76. 


TO 

SIR  HENRY  CRESWICKE  RAWLINSON, 

K.C.B.,    D.C.L.,    ETC.    ETC.    ETC., 

MY    TEACHER   AND    PEEDECESSOE    IN   MY   PEESENT 

LINE    OP    EESEAECH, 

IN    REMEMBRANCE    OP   MANY    FAVOURS, 

THIS   WORK    IS 

3DetiicatcD. 


IV'<,.7 


INTRODUCTION. 

OME  explanation  is  necessary  in  intro- 
ducing my  present  work.  Little  time 
has  elaj)sed  since  I  discovered  the  most 
important  of  these  inscriptions,  and  in 
the  intervening  period  I  have  had,  amidst  other  work, 
to  collect  the  various  fragments  of  the  legends,  copy, 
compare,  and  translate,  altering  my  matter  from  time 
to  time,  as  new  fragments  turned  up.  Even  now  I 
have  gone  to  press  with  one  of  the  fragments  of  the 
last  tablet  of  the  Izdubar  series  omitted. 

The  present  condition  of  the  legends  and  their 
recent  discovery  alike  forbid  me  to  call  this  anything 
more  than  a  provisional  work;  but  there  was  so 
general  a  desire  to  see  the  translations  that  I  have 
published  them,  hoping  my  readers  will  take  them 
with  the  same  reserve  with  which  I  have  given  them. 
I  have  avoided  some  of  the  most  important  com- 
parisons and  conclusions  Avith  respect  to  Genesis,  as 
my  desire  was  first  to  ol^tain  the  recognition  of  the 
evidence  without  prejudice. 


vui  INTRODUCTION. 

The  chronological  notes  in  the  book  are  one  of  its 
weak  points,  but  I  may  safely  say  that  I  have  placed 
the  various  dates  as  low  as  I  fairly  could,  considering 
the  evidence,  and  I  have  aimed  to  do  this  rather  than 
to  establish  any  system  of  chronology. 

I  believe  that  time  will  show  the  Babylonian  tradi- 
tions of  Genesis  to  be  invaluable  for  the  light  they  will 
throw  on  the  Pentateuch,  but  at  present  there  are  so 
many  blanks  in  the  evidence  that  positive  conclusions 
on  several  points  are  impossible.  I  may  add  in  con- 
clusion that  my  present  work  is  intended  as  a  popular 
account,  and  I  have  introduced  only  so  much  expla- 
nation as  seems  necessary  for  the  proper  understand- 
ing of  the  subject.  I  have  added  translations  of  some 
parts  of  the  legends  which  I  avoided  in  my  last  work, 
desiring  here  to  satisfy  the  wish  to  see  them  as 
perfect  as  possible ;  there  still  remain  however  some 
passages  which  I  have  omitted,  but  these  are  of  small 
extent  and  obscure. 

October  26,  1875. 


CONTENTS. 


-HAPTER   I. — The   Discovery   of   ihe    Genesis 
Legends. 

Cosmogony  of  Berosus.  —  Discovery  of  Cunei- 
form Inscriptions. — Historical  Texts.  —  Babylonian 
origin  of  Assyrian  literature. — Mythological  tablets- 

Discovery    of  Deluge  texts. — Izdubar,  his    exploits. — Mutilated 

condition  of  tablets.— Lecture  on  Deluge  tablets. — "  Daily  Tele- 
graph" offer. — Expedition  to  Assyria. — Fragments  of  Creation 
tablets. — Solar  Myth. — Second  journey  to  Assyria. — Tower  of 
Isabel.— Clay  records. — Account  of  creation  in  "Telegraph." — 
"  Dally  Telegraph"  collection. — Interest  of  Creation  legends. — The 
Fall. — ^New  fragments. — List  of  texts        .  .  .  page  1 

Chapter  II. — Babylonian  and  Assyrian  LiTERArtTRR. 

Babylonian  literature. — Kouyunjik  library.— Fragmentary  con- 
dition.— Arrangement  of  tablets.— Subjects. — Dates. — Babylonian 
source  of  literature. — Literary  period. — Babylonian  Chronology. — 
Akkad. — Sumir. — Urukh,  king  of  Ur.— Hammurabi. — Babylonian 
astrology.— War  of  Gods. — Izdubar  legends. — Creation  and  fall. — 
Syllabaries  and  bilingual  tablets. — Assyrian  copies. — Difficulties  as 
to  date. — Mutilated  condition. — Babylonian  library. — AssjTiaa 
empire. — City  of  Assur. — Library  at  Calah. — Sargon  of  Assyria. — 
Sennacherib. — Eemoval  of  Library  to  Nineveh. — Assurbauipal  or 
SaidanapaUis. — His  additions  to  library, — Description  of  contents. 
—Later  Babylonian  libraiies  ,.,«..        19 


X  CONTENTS. 

Chaptek     III. — Chaldean     Legends      transmitted     throttgh 
Berosijs  and  other,  Ancient  Authors. 

Berosus  and  his  copyists. — Cory's  translation. — Alexander  Poly- 
histor. — Babylonia. — Cannes,  his  teaching. — Creation. — Belus. — 
Chaldean  kings. — Xisuthrus. — Deluge. — The  Ark.  —  Return  to 
Babylon. — Apollodorus. — Pantibiblon. — Larancha. — Abydenus. — 
Alorus,  first  long. — Ten  kings. — Sisithrus. — Deluge. — Armenia. — 
Tower  of  Babel. — Cronos  and  Titan. — Nicolaus  Damascenus. — 
Dispersion  from  Hestiseus. — Babylonian  colonies. — Tower  of  Babel. 
— The  Sibyl. — Titan  and  Prometheus. — Damascius. — Tauthe. — 
Moymis. — Kissare  and  Assorus. — Triad, — Bel    ...       37 

Chapter  IV. — Babylonian  Mythology. 

Greek  accounts. — Mythology  local  in  origin. — xintiquity. — Con- 
quests.— Colonies. — Three  great  gods. — Twelve  great  gods. — 
Angels. — Spirits. — Ann. — Anatu. — Vul. — Ishtar. — Equivalent  to 
Venus. — Hea.  —  Cannes. — Merodach. — Bel  or  Jupiter. — Zirat- 
banit,  Succoth  Benoth.  — Elu. — Sin  the  moon  god. — Xinip. — Sha- 
mas. — Nergal. — Anunit. — Table  of  gods   .         .  .  .51 

Chapter,  V. — Babylonian  Legend  of  the  Creation. 

Mutilated  condition  of  tablets. — List  of  subjects. — Description 
of  chaos, — Tiamat. — Generation  of  gods. — Damascius. — Compari- 
son with  Genesis. — Three  great  gods. — Doubtful  fragments. — Fifth 
tablet, — Stars, — Planets. — Moon. — Sun. — Abyss  or  chaos. — Crea- 
tion of  moon. — Creation  of  animals.  — Man. — His  duties. — Dragon 
of  sea. — Fall. — Curse  for  disobedience. — Discussion. — Sacred  tree 
— Dragon  or  serpent. — War  with  Tiamat. — Weapons. — Merodach. 
— Destruction  of  Tiamat. — Mutilation  of  documents. — Parallel 
Biblical  account. — Age  of  story        .....        61 

Chapter  VI. — Other  Babylonian  Accounts  of  the  Creation. 
Cuneiform  accounts  originally  traditions. — Variations. — Ac- 
count of  Berosus. — Tablet  from  Cutha. — Translation. — Composite 
animals. — Eagle-headed  men. — Seven  brothers. — Destruction  of 
men. — Seven  wicked  spirits. — War  in  heaven. — Variations  of 
story. — Poetical  account  of  Creation  .  .  .  .101 

Chapter  VII. — The  Sin  op  the  God  Zu. 

God  Zu. — Obscurity  of  legend. — Translation. — Sin  of  Zu. — 


CONTENTS.  xi 

Anger  of  the  gods. — Speeches  of  Anu  to  Vul. — Vul's  answer. — 
Speech  of  Anu  to  Isebo. — Answer  of  Nebo. — Sarturda. — Changes 
to  a  bird. — The  Zu  bird. — Bird  of  prey. — Sarturda  lord  of 
Amarda       ,....••••     H^ 

Chapter  YIII. — The  Exploits  of  Ltjbaea. 

Lubara. — God  of  Pestilence.— Itak. — The  Plague. — Seven 
warrior  gods. — Destruction  of  people. — Anu. — Goddess  of  Karrak. 
— Speech  of  Elu. — Sin  and  destruction  of  Babylonians.  — Shamas. — 
Sin  and  destruction  of  Erech. — Ishtar. — The  great  god  and 
Duran. — Cutha. — Internal  wars. — Itak  goes  to  Syria. — Power 
and  glory  of  Lubara. — Song  of  Lubara. — Blessings  on  his  worship. 
— God  Xer. — Prayer  to  arrest  the  Plague  .  .  .     123 

Chapter  IX. — Babylonian  Fables. 

Fables. — Common  iu  the  East. — Description. — Power  of  speech 
in  animals. — Story  of  the  eagle. — Serpent. — Shamas. — The  eagle 
caught. — Eats  the  serpent. — Anger  of  birds. — Etana. — Seven 
gods. — Third  tablet. — Speech  of  eagle. — Story  of  the  fox. — His 
cunning. — Judgment  of  Shamas. — His  show  of  sorrow. — His 
punishment. — Speech  of  fox. — Fable  of  the  horse  and  ox. — They 
consort  together. — Speech  of  the  ox.  — His  good  fortune. — Con- 
trast with  the  horse. — Hunting  the  ox. — Speech  of  the  horse. — 
Offers  to  recount  story. — Story  of  Ishtar. — Further  tablets  .     137 

Chapter  X. — Fragments  of  Miscellaneous  Texts. 

Atarpi. — Sin  of  the  world. — Mother  and  daughter  quarrel. — Zamu. 
— Punishment  of  world. — Hea. — Calls  liis  sons. — Orders  drought. 
— Famine. — Building. — Xusku. — Riddle  of  wise  man.^Xature 
and  universal  presence  of  air. — Gods. — Sinuri. — Divining  by  frac- 
ture of  reed. — Incantation. — Dream. — Tower  of  Babel. — Obscurity 
of  legend. — Not  noticed  by  Berosus. — Fragmentary  tablet. — De- 
struction of  Tower. — Dispersion. — Locality  of  Babylon. — Birs  Nim- 
rud. — Babil. — Assyrian  representations     ....     153 

Chapter  XI. — The  Izdubar  Legends. 

Account  of  Deluge. — Nimrod. — Izdubar. — Age  of  Legends. — • 
Babylonian  cylinders. — Xotices  of  Izdubar. — Suiippak. — Ark  City. 


xii  CONTENTS. 

— Twelve  tablets. — Extent  of  Legends. — Description. — Introdnc- 
tion. — Meeting  of  Heabani  and  Izdubar. — ^Destruction  of  tyrant 
Humbaba. — Adventures  of  Ishtar. — Illness  and  wanderings  of 
Izdubar. — Description  of  Deluge  and  conclusion. — First  Tablet. — 
Kingdom  of  Nimrod, — Traditions. — Identifications. — Translation. 
— Elamite  Conquest. — Dates  .         .         .         .  .167 

Chapter  XII. — Meeting  of  Heabani  and  Tzdubae, 

Dream  of  Izdubar. — Heabani. — His  wisdom. — His  solitary  life. 
— Izdubar's  petition. — Zaidu. — Harimtu  and  Samhat. — Tempt 
Heabani. — Might  and  fame  of  Izdubar. — Speech  of  Heabani. — 
His  journey  to  Erech. — The  midannu  or  tiger. — Festival  at  Erech. 
— Dream  of  Izdubar. — Friendship  with  Heabani  .  .     193 

Chaptek  XIII. — Destruction  of  the  Tyrant  Humbaba. 

Elamite  dominion. — Forest  region. — Humbaba. — Conversation. 
. — Petition  to  Shamas. — Journey  to  forest. — Dwelling  of  Hum- 
baba.— Entrance  to  forest. — Meeting  with  Humbaba. — Deatli  of 
Humbaba, — Izdubar  king      ......     207 

Chapter  XIV. — The  Adventures  of  Ishtar. 

Triumph  of  Izdubar. — Ishtar's  love. — Her  offer  of  marriage. — 
Her  promises. — Izdubar's  answer. — Tammuz. — Amours  of  Ishtar. 
— His  refusal. — Ishtar's  anger. — Ascends  to  Heaven. — The  bull. — 
Slain  by  Izdubar, — Ishtar's  curse. — Izdubar's  triumph. — The 
feast. — Ishtar's  despair. — Her  descent  to  Hades. — Description. — 
The  seven  gates. — The  curses. — Uddusunamir. — Sphinx. — Release 
of  Ishtar. — Lament  for  Tammuz     .....     217 

Chapter  XV. — Illness  and  Wanderings  of  Izdubar. 

Heabani  and  the  trees. — Illness  of  Izdubar. — Death  of  Hea- 
bani.— Journey  of  Izdubar. — His  dream. — Scorpion  men. — The 
Desert  of  Mas. — The  paradise. — Siduri  and  Sabitu. — Urharasi. — 
Water  of  death. — Ragmu. — The  conversation. — Hasisadra      241 

Chapter  XVI. — The  Story  of  the  Flood  and  Conclusion. 
Eleventh  tablet. — The  gods. — Sin  of  the  world. — Command  to 
build  the  ark. — Its  contents. — The  building. — The  Flood. — De- 
Btruction  of  people. — Fear  of  the  gods. — End  of  Deluge. — Xizir. — 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

Ecsting  of  Ark. — The  birds. — The  descent  from  the  ark. — The 
sacrifice. — Speeches  of  gods. — Translation  of  Hasisadra. — Cure  of 
Izduhar. — His  return. — Lament  over  Heabani. — Resurrection  of 
Ileabani. — Burial  of  warrior. — Comparison  with  Genesis. — Syrian 
nation. — Connection  of  legends. — Points  of  contact. — Duration  of 
deluge. — Mount  of  descent. — Ten  generations. — Early  cities. — 
Age  of  Izdubar    .....•••     263 

Chapter  XVII. — Conclusion. 

K'otices  of  Genesis. — Correspondence  of  names. — Abram. — Ui 
of  Chaldees. — Ishmael. — Sargon. — His  birth. — Concealed  in  ark. 

Ao-e    of  Nimrod. — Doubtful   theories. — Creation. — Garden 

Eden. Cannes. — Berosus. — Izdubar  legends. — Urukh  of  Uv. — - 

Babylonian  seals. — Egyptian  names. — Assyrian  sculptures  .     295 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


^^^^^1 ROXTISPIECE,  Pliotograph.     Izilubar  (Nimrod)  in 
w^  IJ^vi  ^f  conflict  with  a  lion,  from  an  early  Babylonian 

^  r^H^%  cylinder. 

f      l^^^?^  ^'  I^<^^'f'^'*6  of  inscribed  terra  cotta  tablet,  containing 
¥^i:^^^>^^  the  account  of  the  Deluge,  showing  the  Acinous 

fi-agments  of  which  it  is  composed,  10. 

3.  Oannes  and  other   Babylonian  mythological  figures,  from  cylin- 

der, 39. 

4.  Composite  animals,  from  cylinder,  41. 

5.  Fight  between  Merodach  (Bel)  and  the  dragon,  to  face  p.  62. 

6.  Sacred    tree    or  grove,   with  attendant  cherubim,  from  Assyrian 

cylinder,  89. 

7.  Sacred  tree,  seated  figure  on  each  side  and  serpent  in  background, 

from  an  early  Babylonian  cylinder,  91. 

8.  Bel  encountering  the  dragon,  from  Babylonian  cylinder,  95. 

9.  i\Ierodach  or  Bel   armed  for  the  conflict  with  the  di-agon,  from 

Assyrian  cylinder,  99, 

10.  Fight  between   Bel  and   the  dragon,  from   Babylonian  cylinder, 

102. 

11.  Eagle-headed  men,  from  Nimroud  sculpture,  to  face  p,  102. 

12.  Sacred  tree,  attendant  figures   and  eagle-headed  men,  from  the 

seal  of  a  Syi'ian  chief,  ninth  century  B.C.,  106. 

13.  Men  engaged  in  building,  from  Babylonian  cylinder,  158. 

14  and  15.  Men  engaged  in  building,  from  Babylonian  cylinders,  159. 


xvi  LIST    OF    ILLirSTBATIONS. 

16.  View  of  Birs  Nimrud,  the  supposed  site  of  the  Tower  of  Babel, 

162. 

17.  View  of  the  Babil  mound  at  Babylon,  the  site  of  the  temple  of 

Bel,  163. 

18.  Tower  in  stages,  from  an  Assyrian  bas-relief,  164. 

19.  Izdubar    strangling   a  lion,   from    Khorsabad    sculpture,   to  face 

p.  174. 

20.  Migration  of  Eastern  tribe,  from  early  Babylonian  cylinder,  188. 

21.  Bowareyeh    Mound   at  Warka    (Erech),  site   of  the  temple   of 

Ishtar,  237. 

22.  Izdubar  and  Ileabani  in  conflict  with  the  lion  and  bull,  239. 

23.  Izdubar,    composite  figures,  and   Hasisadra    (Noah)  in  the  ark, 

from  early  Babylonian  cylinder,  257. 

24.  Composite  figures    (scorpion    men),   from   an  Assyrian  cylinder, 

262. 

25.  Hasisadra,   or   Noah,  and    Izdubar,    from    an  early  Babylonian 

cylinder,  283. 

26.  Mugheir,  the  site  of  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  297. 

27.  Oannes,  from  Nimroud  sculpture,  to  face  p.  306. 


Chapter  I. 


THE  DISCOVERY  OF  THE  GENESIS  LEGENDS. 


Cosmogony  of  Bcrosus. — Discovery  of  Cuneiform  Inscriptions. 
— Historical  texts. — Babylonian  origin  of  Assyrian  literature. — 
Mythological  tablets. — Discovery  of  Deluge  tests. — Izdubar,  his 
exploits. — Mutilated  condition  of  tablets. — Lecture  on  Deluge 
tablets. — "  Daily  Telegraph  "  offer. — Expedition  to  Assyria. — 
Fragments  of  Creation  tablets. — Solar  Myth. — Second  journey  to 
Assyria. — Tower  of  Babel. — Clay  records. — Account  of  creation 
in  "  Telegraph." — "  Daily  Telegraph  "  collection. — Interest  of 
Creation  legends. — The  Fall. — New  fragments. — List  of  texts. 

HE  fragments  of  the  Chaldean  historian, 
Berosus,  preserved  in  the  works  of 
various  later  writers,  have  shown  that 
the  Babylonians  were  acquainted  with 
traditions  referring  to  the  Creation,  the  period  before 
the  Flood,  the  Deluge,  and  other  matters  forming 
parts  of  Genesis. 

Berosus,  however,  who  recorded  these  events, 
lived  in  the  time  of  Alexander  the  Great  and  his 
successors,  somewhere  about  B.C.  330  to  260;  and,  as 
this  was  three  hundred  years  after  the  Jews  were 
carried  captive  to  Babylon,  his  works  did  not  prove 


2  TUB    DISCOVEBY    OF 

thnt  these  traditions  were  in  Babylonia  before  the 
Jewish  captivity,  and  could  not  afford  testimony  in 
favour  of  the  great  antiquity  of  these  legends. 

On  the  discovery  and  decipherment  of  the  cunei- 
form inscriptions,  Oriental  scholars  hoped  that  copies 
of  the  Babylonian  histories  and  traditions  would  one 
day  be  discovered,  and  we  should  thus  gain  earlier 
and  more  satisfactory  evidence  as  to  these  primitive 
histories. 

In  the  mound  of  Kouyunjik,  opposite  the  town  of 
Mosul,  Mr.  Layard  discovered  part  of  the  Royal 
Assyrian  library,  and  further  collections,  also  forming 
parts  of  this  library,  have  been  subsequently  found 
by  Mr.  H.  Rassam,  Mr.  Loftus,  and  myself  Sir 
Henry  Rawlinson,  who  made  the  preliminary  exami- 
nation of  Mr.  Layard's  treasures,  and  who  Avas  the 
first  to  recognize  their  value,  estimated  the  number 
of  these  fragments  of  inscriptions  at  over  twenty 
thousand. 

The  attention  of  decipherers  was  in  the  first  in* 
stance  drawn  to  the  later  historical  inscriptions,  par- 
ticularly to  those  of  the  Assyrian  kings  contemporary 
with  the  Hebrew  monarchy ;  and  in  this  section  of 
inscriptions  a  very  large  number  of  texts  of  great 
importance  rewarded  the  toil  of  Assyrian  scholars. 
Inscriptions  of  Tiglath  Pileser,  Shalmaneser,  Sargon, 
Sennacherib,  Esarhaddon,  Nebuchadnezzar,  Naboni- 
dus,  and  numerous  other  ancient  sovereigns,  bearing 
directly  on  the  Bible,  and  giving  new  light  upon 
parts  of  ancient  history  before  obscure,  for  a  long 


THE    GENESIS    LEGENDS.  3 

time  occupied  almost  exclusively  the  attention  of 
students,  and  overshadowed  any  work  in  •other  divi- 
sions of  Assyrian  literature. 

Although  it  was  known  that  Assyria  borrowed  its 
civilization  and  written  characters  from  Babylonia, 
yet,  as  the  Assyrian  nation  was  mostly  hostile  to  the 
southern  and  older  kingdom,  it  could  not  be  guessed 
beforehand  that  the  peculiar  national  traditions  of 
Babylonia  would  be  transported  to  Assyria. 

Under  these  circumstances,  for  some  years  after 
the  cuneiform  inscriptions  were  first  deciphered, 
nothing  was  looked  for  or  discovered  bearing  upon 
the  events  of  Genesis ;  but,  as  new  texts  were  brought 
into  notice,  it  became  evident  that  the  Assyrians 
copied  their  literature  largely  from  Babylonian 
sources,  and  it  appeared  likely  that  search  among 
the  fragments  of  Assyrian  inscriptions  would  yield 
traces  at  least  of  some  of  these  ancient  Babylonian 
legends. 

Attention  was  early  drawn  to  these  points  by  Sir 
Henry  Rawhnson,  who  pointed  out  several  coinci- 
dences between  the  geography  of  Babylonia  and  the 
account  of  Eden  in  Genesis,  and  suggested  the  great 
probability  that  the  accounts  in  Genesis  had  a  Baby- 
lonian origin. 

When  at  work  preparing  the  fourth  volume  of 
Cuneiform  Inscriptions,  I  noticed  references  to  the 
Creation  in  a  tablet  numbered  K  Go  in  the  Museum 
collection,  and  allusions  in  other  tablets  to  similar 
legends ;  I  therefore  set  about  searching  through  the 


4  TEE    DISCOVERY    OF 

collection,  which  I  had  previously  selected  under  the 
head  of  "  Mythological  tablets,"  to  find,  if  possible, 
some  of  these  legends.  This  mythological  collection 
was  one  of  six  divisions  into  which  I  had  parted  the 
Museum  collection  of  cuneiform  inscriptions  for  con- 
venience of  working.  By  placing  all  the  tablets  and 
fragments  of  the  same  class  together,  I  had  been 
able  to  complete  several  texts,  to  easily  find  any  sub- 
ject required,  and  at  any  time  to  get  a  general  idea 
of  the  contents  of  the  collection. 

The  mythological  division  contained  all  tablets 
relating  to  the  mythology,  and  all  the  legends  in 
which  the  gods  took  a  leading  part,  together  with 
pra3^ers  and  similar  subjects. 

Commencing  a  steady  search  among  these  frag- 
ments, I  soon  found  half  of  a  curious  tablet  which 
had  evidently  contained  originally  six  columns  of 
text;  two  of  these  (the  third  and  fourth)  were  still 
nearly  perfect;  two  others  (the  second  and  fifth) 
were  imperfect,  about  half  remaining,  while  the 
remaining  columns  (the  first  and  sixth)  were  entirely 
lost.  On  looking  down  the  third  column,  my  eye 
caught  the  statement  that  the  ship  rested  on  the 
mountains  of  Nizir,  followed  by  the  account  of  the 
sending  forth  of  the  dove,  and  its  finding  no  resting- 
place  and  returning.  I  saw  at  once  that  I  had  here 
discovered  a  portion  at  least  of  the  Chaldean  account 
of  the  Deluge.  I  then  proceeded  to  read  through 
the  document,  and  found  it  was  in  the  form  of  a 
speech  from    the  hero  of  the  Deluge  to  a   person 


THE    GENESIS    LEGENDS.  5 

whose  name  appeared  to  be  Izdubar.  I  recollected 
a  legend  belonging  to  the  same  hero  Izdubar  Iv.  231, 
which,  on  comparison,  proved  to  belong  to  the  same 
series,  and  then  I  commenced  a  search  for  any  miss- 
ing portions  of  the  tablets. 

This  search  was  a  long  and  heavy  work,  for  there 
were  thousands  of  fragments  to  go  over,  and,  while 
on  the  one  side  I  had  gained  as  yet  only  two  frag- 
ments of  the  Izdubar  legends  to  judge  from,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  unsorted  fragments  were  so  small, 
and  contained  so  little  of  the  subject,  that  it  was 
extremely  difficult  to  ascertain  their  meaning.  My 
search,  however,  proved  successful.  I  found  a  frag- 
ment of  another  copy  of  the  Deluge,  containing  again 
the  sending  forth  of  the  birds,  and  gradually  col- 
lected several  other  portions  of  this  tablet,  fitting 
them  in  one  after  another  until  I  had  completed  the 
greater  part  of  the  second  column.  Portions  of  a 
thii-d  copy  next  turned  up,  which,  when  joined 
together,  completed  a  considerable  part  of  the  first 
and  sixth  columns.  I  now  had  the  account  of  the 
Deluge  in  the  state  in  which  I  pubhshed  it  at  the 
meeting  of  the  Society  of  Bibhcal  Archaeology, 
December  3rd,  1872.  I  had  discovered  that  the 
Izdubar  series  contained  at  least  twelve  tablets,  and 
I  afterwards  found  this  to  be  their  exact  number. 
Of  this  series  the  tablet  describing  the  Deluge  was 
the  eleventh  and  K  231.  the  sixth.  Numerous  other 
fragments  turned  up  at  the  same  time;  but  these, 
while  they  increased  my  knowledge  of  the  legends, 


6  THE    BISCOVEBY    OF 

could  not  be  arranged  in  order  from  want  of  indica- 
tion of  the  particular  tablets  to  which  they  belonged. 

Some  other  fragmentary  legends,  including  tne 
war  of  the  gods  and  three  fables,  I  also  found  at  the 
same  time,  but  these  were  in  such  mutilated  condi- 
tion that  I  could  not  make  a  connected  translation 
of  them. 

In  my  lecture  on  the  Deluge  tablets,  I  gave  a 
sketch  of  the  Izdubar  legends,  and  expressed  my 
belief  that  the  Chaldean  inscriptions  contained 
various  other  similar  stories  bearing  upon  the  Book 
of  Genesis,  which  would  prove  of  the  highest  interest. 

Just  at  this  time  happened  the  intervention  of  the 
proprietors  of  the  "  Daily  Telegraph "  newspaper. 
Mr.  E.  Arnold,  who  is  on  the  direction  of  that  paper, 
had  already  sent  to  me  expressing  his  interest  in 
these  discoveries,  and  immediately  after  my  lecture 
he  came  armed  with  a  proposition  from  the_  pro- 
prietors of  the  "  Daily  Telegraph "  to  re-open,  at 
their  cost,  the  excavations  in  Assyria,  and  gain  some 
new  information  on  the  subject  of  these  legends. 
This  proposition  was  submitted  to  the  trustees  of 
the  British  Museum,  and  they  directed  me  to  go  to 
Assyria  and  make  a  short  excavation,  leave  ot 
absence  for  six  months  being  granted  to  me  for  this 
purpose.  I  have  related,  in  my  work,  "Assyrian 
discoveries,"  the  history  of  this  expedition,  which 
brought  me  the  next  fragments  of  these  legends. 
Soon  after  I  commenced  excavating  at  Kouyunjik, 
on  the  site  of  the  palace  of  Assurbanipal,  I  found  a 


THE    GENESIS    LEGENDS.  7 

new  fragment  of  the  Chaldean  account  of  the  Deluge 
belonging  to  the  first  column  of  the  tablet,  relating 
the  command  to  build  and  fill  the  ark,  and  neaily 
filling  up  the  most  considerable  blank  in  the  story. 
Some    other   fragments,  which  I  found  afterwards, 
still  further  completed  this  tablet,  which  was  already 
the   most  j^erfect  one   in  the    Izdubar  series.     The 
trench  in  which    I  found  the  fragment  in  question 
must  have   passed  very  near  the   place  where   the 
Assyrians   kept   a   series   of   inscriptions   belonging 
to  the  early  history  of   the   world.     Soon   after    I 
discovered   the    fragment   of  the    Deluge    tablet,    I 
came  upon  a   fragment   of  the    sixth  tablet   of  the 
same  series  in  this  trench,  and  not  far  from  the  place 
of  the  Deluge  fragment.     This   fragment   described 
the  destruction  of  the  bull  of  Ishtar  by  Izdubar  and 
Heabani,  an  incident  often  depicted  on  early  Baby- 
lonian gems.     My  next  discovery  here  was  a  frag- 
ment  evidently   belongmg    to    the    creation   of  the 
world;  this  was  the  upper  corner  of  a  tablet,    and 
gave     a   fragmentary   account     of    the   creation    of 
animals.     Further  on  in   this    trench   I    discovered 
two   other  portions    of  this  legend,  one   giving  the 
Creation  and  fall  of  man ;  the  other  having  part  of 
the  war  between  the  gods  and  evil  spu'its.     At  that 
time  I  did  not   recognize  the   importance    of  these 
fragments,  excepting  the  one  with  the  account  of  the 
creation  of  animals,  and,  as  I  had  immediately  after- 
wards to  return  to  England,  I  made  no  further  dis- 
coveries in  this  direction. 


8  TUE    DISCOVERY    OF 

On  my  return  from  the  east,  I  published  some  of 
the  discoveries  I  had  made,  and  I  now  found,  on 
joining  the  fragments  of  the  Deluge  or  Izdubar  series, 
that  they  formed  exactly  twelve  tablets.  The  fact 
that  these  legends  covt  ]  ed  twelve  tablets  led  to  the 
impression  that  they  were  a  form  of  the  solar  myth, 
that  is,  that  they  symbolized  the  passage  of  the  sun 
through  the  heavens,  each  tablet  representing  a 
separate  sign  of  the  zodiac.  This  opinion,  first 
started  by  Sir  Henry  Rawlinson,  was  at  once  ac- 
cepted by  M.  Lenormant,  Rev.  A.  H.  Sayce,  and 
other  scholars;  but  I  think  myself  it  rests  on  too 
insecure  a  basis  to  be  true.  In  a  subsequent  chapter 
I  will  give  as  nearly  as  I  can  the  contents  of  the 
Izdubar  legends,  which  I  think  do  not  warrant  this 
view.  Some  months  further  passed,  during  which 
I  was  engaged  in  my  second  journey  to  Assyria,  and 
in  realizing  the  results  of  that  expedition.  I  again 
brought  from  Assyria  several  fragments  of  the 
Genesis  legends  which  helped  to  complete  these 
curious  stories,  and  in  January,  1875,  I  commenced 
once  more  a  regular  search  for  these  fragments. 
Very  soon  afterwards  I  succeeded  in  discovering  a 
notice  of  the  building  of  the  tower  of  Babel,  which 
at  once  attracted  attention,  and  a  notice  of  it,  which 
appeared  in  the  "  Athenaeum,"  No.  2468,  was  copied 
into  several  of  the  papers.  I  was,  however,  at  that 
time  hardly  prepared  to  publish  these  legends,  as  I 
had  not  ascertained  how  far  they  could  be  completed 
from  our  present  collections. 


THE    GENESIS    LEGENDS.  9 

Subsequent  search  did  not  show  that  any  further 
fragments  of  the  Babel  tablet  were  in  the  British 
Museum,  but  I  soon  added  several  fresh  portions  to 
the  fragmentary  history  of  the  Creation  and  Fall. 
The  greatest  difficulty  with  which  I  had  to  contend 
in  all  these  researches  was  the  extremely  mutilated 
and  deficient  condition  in  which  the  tablets  were 
found.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that,  if  the  inscrip- 
tions were  perfect,  they  would  present  very  little  dif- 
ficulty to  the  translator. 

The  reason  why  these  legends  are  in  so  many 
fragments,  and  the  diflEerent  parts  so  scattered,  may 
be  explained  from  the  nature  of  the  material  of 
which  the  tablets  are  composed,  and  the  changes 
undergone  by  them  since  they  were  written.  These 
tablets  were  composed  of  fine  clay  and  were  inscribed 
with  cuneiform  characters  while  in  a  soft  state ;  they 
were  then  baked  in  a  furnace  until  hard,  and  after- 
wards transferred  to  the  library.  These  texts  appear 
to  have  been  broken  up  when  Nineveh  was  destroyed, 
and  many  of  them  were  cracked  and  scorched  by  the 
heat  at  the  burning  of  the  palace.  Subsequently  the 
ruins  were  turned  over  in  search  of  treasure,  and  the 
tablets  still  further  broken;  and  then,  to  complete 
their  ruin,  the  rain,  every  spring  soaking  through  the 
ground,  saturates  them  with  water  containing 
chemicals,  and  these  chemicals  form  crystals  in  every 
available  crack.  The  growth  of  the  crystals  further 
splits  the  tablets,  some  of  them  being  literally 
shivered. 


10  TEE    DI8G0VEEY    OF 

Some  idea  of  the  mutilated  condition  of  the  Assy- 
rian tablets,  and  of  the  work  of  restorinor  a  sino-le 
text,  will  be  gained  from  the  engraving  below,  which 
exhibits  the  present  appearance  of  one  of  the  Deluge 
tablets.     In  this  tablet  there  are  sixteen  frao-ments. 


Keverse  of  Inscribed  Terra  Cotta  Tablet  containing  the  Account 
OF  THE  Deluge,  showing  the  various  fragments  of  which  it 
IS  composed. 

The  clay  records  of  the  Assyrians  are  by  these 
means  so  broken  up,  that  they  are  in  some  cases 
divided  into  over  one  hundred  fragments ;  and  it  is 
only  by  collecting  and  joining  together  the  various 
frao-ments  that  these  ancient  texts  can  be  restored. 

o 

Many  of  the  old  fragmentary  tablets  which  have  been 
twenty  years  in  the  British  Museum  have  been  added 
to  considerably  by  fragments  which  I  found  during 


THE    GENESIS    LEGENDS.  11 

my  two  journeys,  and  yet  there  remain  at  least  20,000 
fragments  buried  in  the  ruins  without  the  recovery 
of  which  it  is  impossible  to  complete  these  valuable 
Assyrian  inscriptions. 

Being  now  urged  by  many  friends  who  were 
interested  in  the  subject,  I  sent  the  following  account 
to  the  editor  of  the  "  Daily  Telegraph,"  which  was 
printed  in  that  paper  on  the  4th  of  March,  1875 : — 

"  Having  recently  made  a  series  of  important  dis- 
coveries relating  to  the  Book  of  Genesis,  among  some 
remarkable  texts,  which  form  part  of  the  collection 
presented  to  the  British  Museum  by  the  projDrietors 
of  '  The  Daily  Telegraph,'  I  venture  once  more 
to  bring  Assyrian  subjects  before  your  readers. 

"  In  my  lecture  on  the  Chaldean  Account  of  the 
Deluge,  which  I  delivered  on  Dec.  3,  1872,  I  stated 
my  conviction  that  all  the  earlier  narratives  of 
Genesis  would  receive  new  light  from  the  inscrip- 
tions so  long  buried  in  the  Chaldean  and  Assyrian 
mounds ;  but  I  little  thought  at  that  time  that  I  was 
so  near  to  finding  most  of  them. 

"  My  lecture,  as  your  readers  know,  was  soon  fol- 
lowed by  the  proposal  of  your  proprietors  and  the 
organizing  of  '  The  Daily  Telegraph '  expedition  to 
Assyria.  When  excavating  at  Kouyunjik  during 
that  expedition,  I  discovered  the  missing  portion  of 
the  first  column  of  the  Deluge  tablet,  an  account  of 
which  I  sent  home ;  and  in  the  same  trench  I  sub- 
sequently found  the  fragment  which  I  afterwards 
recognized   as  part   of  the    Chaldean  story    of  the 


17 1 


12  THE    DISCOVERY    OF 

Creation,  wlaicli  relic  I  have  noticed  already  in  your 
columns.  I  excavated  later  on,  while  still  working 
under  your  auspices,  another  portion  belonging  to 
this  story,  far  more  precious — in  fact,  I  think,  to  the 
general  public,  the  most  interesting  and  remarkable 
cuneiform  tablet  yet  discovered.  This  turns  out  to 
contain  the  story  of  man's  original  innocence,  of  the 
temptation,  and  of  the  fall.  I  was,  when  I  found  it, 
on  the  eve  of  departing,  and  had  not  time  to  properly 
examine  my  great  prize.  I  only  copied  the  two  or 
three  first  lines,  which  (as  I  had  then  no  idea  of  the 
general  subject  of  the  tablet)  did  not  appear  very 
valuable,  and  I  forthwith  packed  it  in  the  box  for 
transport  to  England,  where  it  arrived  safely,  and 
was  presented  by  the  proprietors  of  '  The  Daily 
Telegraph,'  with  the  rest  of  theu*  collection,  to  the 
British  Museum.  On  my  return  to  England  I  made 
some  other  discoveries  among  my  store,  and  in  the 
pursuit  of  these  this  fragment  was  overlooked.  I 
subsequently  went  a  second  time  to  Assyria,  and  re- 
turned to  England  in  June,  1874  ;  but  I  had  no 
leisure  to  look  again  at  those  particular  legends  until 
the  end  of  January  in  this  year.  Then,  starting 
with  the  fragment  of  the  Creation  in  '  The  Daily 
Telegraph'  collection,  which  I  had  first  noticed,  I 
began  to  collect  other  portions  of  the  series,  and 
among  these  I  soon  found  the  overlooked  fragment 
which  I  had  excavated  at  Kouyunjik,  the  first  lines 
of  which  I  took  down  in  the  note-book  of  my  first 
expedition.      I   subsequently  found  several  smaller 


TEE    GENESIS    LEGENDS.  13 

pieces  in  the  old  Museum  collection,  and  all  join  or 
form  parts  of  a  continuous  series  of  legends,  giving 
the  history  of  the  world  from  the  Creation  down  to 
some  period  after  the  Fall  of  Man.  Linked  with 
these,  I  found  also  other  series  of  legends  on  pri- 
mitive history,  including  the  story  of  the  building 
of  the  Tower  of  Babel  and  of  the  Confusion  of 
Tongues. 

"  The  first  series,  which  I  may  call  '  The  Story  of 
the  Creation  and  Fall,'  when  complete  must  have 
consisted  of  nine  or  ten  tablets  at  least,  and  the  his- 
tory upon  it  is  much  longer  and  fuller  than  the 
corresponding  account  in  the  Book  of  Genesis. 
With  respect  to  these  Genesis  narratives  a  furious 
strife  has  existed  for  many  years;  every  word  has 
been  scanned  by  eager  scholars,  and  every  possible 
meaning  which  the  various  passages  could  bear  has 
been  suggested;  while  the  age  and  authenticity  of 
the  narratives  have  been  discussed  on  all  sides.  In 
particular,  it  may  be  said  that  the  account  of  the  fall 
of  man,  the  heritage  of  all  Christian  countries,  has 
been  the  centre  of  this  controversy,  for  it  is  one  of 
the  pivots  on  which  the  Christian  religion  turns. 
The  world-wide  importance  of  these  subjects  will 
therefore  give  the  newly  discovered  inscriptions,  and 
especially  the  one  relating  to  the  Fall,  an  un- 
paralleled value,  and  I  am  glad,  indeed,  that  such  a 
treasure  should  have  resulted  from  your  expedi- 
tion. 

"  Whatever  the  primitive  account  may  have  been 


14  THE    BISCOVEBY    OF 

from  whicli  the  earlier  part  of  the  Book  of  Genesis 
was  copied,  it  is  evident  that  the  brief  narration  given 
in  the  Pentateuch  omits  a  number  of  incidents  and 
explanations — for  instance,  as  to  the  origin  of  evil, 
the  fall  of  the  angels,  the  wickedness  of  the  ser- 
pent, &c.  Such  points  as  these  are  included  in  the 
Cuneiform  narrative ;  but  of  course  I  can  say  little 
about  them  until  I  prepare  full  translations  of  the 
legends. 

"The narrative  on  the  Assyrian  tablets  commences 
with  a  description  of  the  period  before  the  world 
was  created,  when  there  existed  a  chaos  or  confusion. 
The  desolate  and  empty  state  of  the  universe  and 
the  generation  by  chaos  of  monsters  are  vividly 
given.  The  chaos  is  presided  over  by  a  female 
power  named,  Tisalat  and  Tiamat,  corresponding  to 
the  Thalatth  of  Berosus;  but,  as  it  proceeds,  the 
Assyrian  account  agrees  rather  with  the  Bible  than 
with  the  short  account  from  Berosus.  We  are  told, 
in  the  inscriptions,  of  the  fall  of  the  celestial  being 
who  appears  to  correspond  to  Satan.  In  his  am- 
bition he  raises  his  hand  against  the  sanctuary  of  the 
God  of  heaven,  and  the  description  of  him  is  really 
magnificent.  He  is  represented  riding  in  a  chariot 
through  celestial  space,  surrounded  by  the  storms, 
with  the  lightning  playing  before  him,  and  wielding 
a  thunderbolt  as  a  weapon. 

"  This  rebellion  leads  to  a  war  in  heaven  and  the 
conquest  of  the  powers  of  evil,  the  gods  in  due 
course    creating   the   universe  in    stages,  as  in   the 


THE    GENESIS    LEGENDS.  15 

Mosaic  narrative,  surveying  eacli  step  of  the  work 
and  pronouncing  it  good.  The  divine  vrork  culmi- 
nates in  the  creation  of  man,  who  is  made  upright 
and  free  from  evil,  and  endowed  by  the  gods  with 
the  noble  faculty  of  speech. 

"  The  Deity  then  delivers  a  long  address  to  the 
newly  created  being,  instructing  him  in  all  his  duties 
and  privileges,  and  pointing  out  the  glory  of  his 
state.  But  this  condition  of  blessing  does  not  last 
long  before  man,  yielding  to  temptation,  falls ;  and 
the  Deity  then  pronounces  upon  him  a  terrible 
curse,  invoking  on  his  head  all  the  evils  which  have 
since  afflicted  humanity.  These  last  details  are,  as 
I  have  before  stated,  upon  the  fragment  which  I 
excavated  during  my  first  journey  to  Assyria,  and 
the  discovery  of  this  single  relic  in  my  opinion  in- 
creases many  times  over  the  value  of  '  The  Daily 
Telegraph'  collection. 

"  I  have  at  present  recovered  no  more  of  the  story, 
and  am  not  jet  in  a  position  to  give  the  full  transla- 
tions and  details;  but  I  hope  during  the  spring  to 
find  time  to  search  over  the  collection  of  smaller 
fragments  of  tablets,  and  to  light  upon  any  smaller 
parts  of  the  legends  which  may  have  escaped  me. 
There  will  arise,  besides,  a  number  of  important 
cjucstions  as  to  the  date  and  origin  of  the  legends, 
their  comparison  with  the  Bibhcal  narrative,  and 
as  to  how  far  they  may  supplement  the  Mosaic 
account." 

This  will  serve  to   exhibit  the  appearance  these 


16  THE    DI8G0VEBY    OF 

legends  presented  to  me  soon  after  I  discovered 
them. 

On  comparing  this  account  with  the  translations 
and  notes  I  have  given  in  this  book,  it  will  be  evident 
that  my  first  notice  was  inaccurate  in  several  points, 
both  as  to  the  order  and  translation  of  the  legends ; 
but  I  had  not  expected  it  to  be  otherwise,  for  there 
had  not  been  time  to  collect  and  translate  the  frag- 
ments, and,  until  that  was  done,  no  satisfactory 
account  of  them  could  be  given,  the  inaccuracies 
in  the  account  being  due  to  the  broken  state  of 
the  tablets  and  my  recent  knowledge  of  them.  It  is 
a  notable  fact  that  the  discovery  of  these  legends 
was  one  of  the  fruits  of  the  expedition  organized  by 
the  proprietors  of  the  "  Daily  Telegraph,"  and  these 
legends  and  the  Deluge  fragments  form  the  most 
valuable  results  of  that  expedition. 

After  I  had  published  this  notice  in  the  "  Daily 
Telegraph  "  I  set  to  work  to  look  over  the  fragments 
in  the  collection,  in  search  of  other  minor  fragments, 
and  found  several,  but  these  added  little  to  my 
knowledge,  only  enabling  me  to  correct  my  notice. 
A  little  later  I  discovered  a  new  fragment  of  the 
tenth  tablet  of  the  Deluge  series,  and  last  of  all  a 
further  portion  of  the  sixth  tablet  of  these  legends. 
This  closed  my  discoveries  so  far  as  the  fragments 
of  the  tablets  were  concerned,  and  I  had  then  to  copy 
and  translate  the  tablets  as  far  as  their  mutilated 
condition  would  allow. 

The  Genesis  legends  which  I  had  collected  from 


TEE    GENESIS    LEGENDS.  17 

the  various  Assyrian  fragments  inclacled  numerous 
other  stories  beside  those  which  parallel  the  account 
in  the  Book  of  Genesis.  All  these  stories  are  similar 
in  character,  and  appear  to  belong  to  the  same  early 
literary  age.  So  far  as  I  have  made  out  they  are  as 
follows : — 

1.  A  long  account  of  the  origin  of  the  world,  the 
creation  of  the  animals  and  man,  the  fall  of  man  from 
a  sinless  state,  and  a  conflict  between  the  gods  and 
the  powers  of  evil. 

2.  A  second  account  of  the  creation  having  a 
closer  correspondence  with  the  account  of  Berosus. 

3.  A  Bihngual  legend  of  the  history  of  the  seven 
evil  spirits,  apparently  part  of  a  third  version  of  the 
creation. 

4.  Story  of  the  descent  of  the  goddess  Ishtar  or 
Venus  into  Hades,  and  her  return. 

5.  Legend  of  the  sin  of  the  God  Zu,  who  insults 
Elu,  the  father  of  the  gods. 

6.  Collection  of  five  tablets  giving  the  exploits  of 
Lubara  the  god  of  the  pestilence. 

7.  Legend  of  the  god  Sarturda,  who  turned  into  a 
bird. 

8.  Story  of  the  wise  man  who  put  forth  a  riddle  to 
the  gods. 

9.  Legend  of  the  good  man  Atarpi,  and  the 
wickedness  of  the  world. 

10.  Legend  of  the  tower  of  Babel,  and  dispersion. 

11.  Story  of  the  Eagle  and  Etana. 

12.  Story  of  the  ox  and  the  horse. 

c 


18  THE    GENESIS    LEGENDS. 

13.  Story  of  the  fox. 

14.  Legend  of  Sinuri. 

15.  Izdubar  legends :  twelve  tablets,  with  the  his- 
tory of  Izdubar,  and  an  account  of  the  flood. 

16.  Various  fragments  of  other  legends.  These 
show  that  there  was  a  considerable  collection  of  such 
primitive  stories  almost  unrepresented  in  our  present 
collection. 


^ii'o: 


Chapter  II. 
BABYL0XIA:N"  AN"D  assykian  liteeatuee. 

Babylonian  literature. —  Kouyunjik  library, — Fragmentary 
condition. — Arrangement  of  tablets. — Subjects. — Dates. — Baby- 
lonian source  of  literature. — Literary  period. — Babylonian  Chro- 
nology.— Akkad. — Sumir. — Urukh,  king  of  TJr. — Hammurabi. — 
Babylonian  astrology. — "War  of  Grods. — Izdubar  legends. — 
Creation  and  fall. — Syllabaries  and  bilingual  tablets. — Assyrian 
copies. — Difl3.culties  as  to  date. — Mutilated  condition. — Babylo- 
nian library. — Assyrian  empire. — City  of  Assur. — Library  at 
Calab, — Sargon  of  Assyria. — Sennaclierib. — Removal  of  Library 
to  Nineveh. — Assurbanipal  or  Sardanapalus. — His  additions  to 
library. — Description  of  contents. — Later  Babylonian  libraries. 


N  order  to  understand  tlie  position  of 
these  legends  it  is  necessary  to  give  some 
account  of  the  wonderful  literature  of 
the  Ancient  Babylonians  and  theu' 
copj'ists,  the  Assyrians.  The  fragments  of  terra 
cotta  tablets  containing  these  legends  were  found  in 
the  debris  which  covers  the  palaces  called  the  South 
West  Palace  and  the  North  Palace  at  Kouyunjik; 
the  former  building  being  of  the  age  of  Sennacherib, 
the  latter  belonging  to  the  time  of  Assurbanipal. 
The  tal^lets,  which  are  of  all  sizes,  from  one  inch  long 
to  over  a  foot  square,  are  nearly  all  in  fragments,  and 


20  BABYLONIAN    AND 

in  consequence  of  tlie  changes  which  have  taken 
place  in  the  ruins  the  fragments  of  the  same  tablet 
are  sometimes  scattered  widely  apart.  It  appears 
from  a  consideration  of  the  present  positions  of  the 
fragments  that  they  were  originally  in  the  upper 
chambers  of  the  palace,  and  have  fallen  on  the  de- 
struction of  the  building.  In  some  of  the  lower 
chambers  they  lay  covering  the  whole  floor,  in  other 
cases  they  lay  in  groups  or  patches  on  the  pavement, 
and  there  are  occasional  clusters  of  fraoments  at 
various  heights  in  the  earth  which  covers  the  build- 
ings. The  other  fragments  are  scattered  singly 
through  all  the  upper  earth  which  covers  the  floors 
and  walls  of  the  palace.  Different  fragments  of  the 
same  tablets  and  cylinders  are  found  in  sejDarate 
chambers  which  have  no  immediate  connection  with 
each  other,  showing  that  the  present  distribution  of 
the  fragments  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  original 
position  of  the  tablets. 

A  consideration  of  the  inscriptions  shows  that 
these  tablets  have  been  arranged  according  to  their 
subjects  in  various  positions  in  the  libraries.  Stories 
or  subjects  were  commenced  on  tablets  and  continued 
on  other  tablets  of  the  same  size  and  form,  in  some 
cases  the  number  of  tablets  in  a  series  and  on  e 
single  subject  amounting  to  over  one  hundred. 

Each  subject  or  series  of  tablets  had  a  title,  the 
title  being  formed  by  the  first  phrase  or  part  of 
phrase  in  the  subject.  Thus,  the  series  of  Astrolo- 
gical tablets,  numbering  over  seventy  tablets,  bore  the 


AS8YBIAN    LITEBATUEE.  21 

title  "When  the  gods  Anu,  Elu,"  this  being  the 
commencement  of  the  first  tablet.  At  the  end  of 
every  tablet  in  each  series  was  written  its  number  in 
the  work,  thus :  "  the  first  tablet  of  When  the  gods 
Anu,  Elu,"  the  second  tablet  of  "When  the  gods 
Anu,  Elu,"  &c.  &c. ;  and,  further  to  preserve  the 
proper  position  of  each  tablet,  every  one  except  the 
last  in  a  series  had  at  the  end  a  catch  phrase,  consist- 
ing of  the  first  fine  of  the  following  tablet.  There 
were  beside,  catalogues  of  these  documents  written 
like  them  on  clay  tablets,  and  other  small  oval 
tablets  with  titles  upon  them,  apparently  labels  for 
the  various  series  of  works.  All  these  arrangements 
show  the  care  taken  with  respect  to  literary  matters. 
There  were  regular  libraries  or  chambers,  probably 
on  the  upper  floors  of  the  palaces,  appointed  for  the 
store  of  the  tablets,  and  custodians  or  hbrarians  to 
take  charge  of  them.  It  is  probable  that  all  these 
regulations  were  of  great  antiquity,  and  were  copied 
like  the  tablets  from  the  Babylonians. 

Judging  from  the  fragments  discovered,  it  appears 
probable  that  there  were  in  the  Eoyal  Library  at 
Nineveh  over  10,000  inscribed  tablets,  including 
almost  every  subject  in  ancient  literature. 

In  considering  a  subject  like  the  present  one  it  is 
a  point  of  the  utmost  importance  to  define  as  closely 
as  possible  the  date  of  our  present  copies  of  the 
legends,  and  the  most  probable  period  at  which  the 
original  copies  may  have  been  inscribed.  By  far  the 
greatest  number  of  the  tablets  brought  from  Nineveh 


22  BABYLONIAN    AND 

belong  to  the  age  of  Assurbanipal,  who  reigned  over 
Assyria  B.C.  670,  and  every  copy  of  the  Genesis 
legends  yet  found  was  inscribed  during  his  reign. 
The  statements  on  the  present  tablets  are  conclusive 
on  this  point,  and  have  not  been  called  in  question, 
but  it  is  equally  stated  and  acknowledged  on  all 
hands  that  these  tablets  are  not  the  originals,  but  are 
only  copies  from  earlier  texts.  It  is  unfortunate  that 
the  date  of  the  original  copies  is  never  preserved,  and 
thus  a  wide  door  is  thrown  open  for  difference  of 
opinion  on  this  point.  The  Assyrians  acknowledge 
themselves  that  this  literature  was  borrowed  from 
Babylonian  sources,  and  of  course  it  is  to  Babylonia 
we  have  to  look  to  ascertain  the  approximate  dates 
of  the  original  documents.  The  difficulty  here  is 
increased  by  the  following  considerations :  it  appears 
that  at  an  early  period  in  Babylonian  history  a  great 
literary  development  took  place,  and  numerous  works 
were  produced  which  embodied  the  prevailing  myths, 
religion,  and  science  of  that  day.  Written  many  of 
them  in  a  noble  style  of  poetry,  and  appealing  to  the 
strongest  feelings  of  the  people  on  one  side,  or  regis- 
terino:  the  hiohest  efforts  of  their  science  on  the 
other,  these  texts  became  the  standards  for  Babylo- 
nian literature,  and  later  generations  were  content 
to  copy  these  writings  instead  of  making  new  works 
for  themselves.  Clay,  the  material  on  which  they 
were  written,  was  everywhere  abundant,  copies  were 
multiplied,  and  by  the  veneration  in  which  they 
were  held  these  texts  fixed  and  stereotyped  the  style 


ASSTRIAN    LITERATURE.  23 

of  Babylonian  literature,  and  the  language  in  which 
they  were  written  remained  the  classical  style  in  the 
country  down  to  the  Persian  conquest.  Thus  it 
happens  that  texts  of  Rim-agu,  Sargon,  and  Hammu- 
rabi, who  were  one  thousand  years  before  Nebuchad- 
nezzar and  Xabonidus,  show  the  same  language  as 
the  texts  of  these  later  kings,  there  being  no  sensible 
difference  in  style  to  match  the  long  interval  between 
them. 

There  is,  however,  reason  to  believe  that,  although 
the  language  of  devotion  and  literature  remained 
fixed,  the  speech  of  the  bulk  of  the  people  was 
gradually  modified ;  and  in  the  time  of  Assurbanipal, 
when  the  Assyrians  copied  the  Genesis  legends, 
the  common  speech  of  the  day  was  in  very  diff*erent 
style.  The  private  letters  and  despatches  of  this 
age  which  have  been  discovered  difier  widely  from 
the  language  of  the  contemporary  pubhc  docaments 
and  religious  writings,  showing  the  change  the  lan- 
guage had  undergone  since  the  style  of  these  was 
fixed.  We  have  a  shghtly  similar  case  in  England, 
where  the  language  of  devotion  and  the  style  of  the 
Bible  differ  in  several  respects  from  those  of  the 
English  of  to-day. 

These  considerations  show  the  difficulty  of  fixing 
the  age  of  a  document  from  its  style,  and  the  diffi- 
culty is  further  increased  by  the  uncertainty  which 
hangs  over  all  Babylonian  chronology. 

Chronology  is  always  a  thorny  subject,  and  dry 
and  unsatisfactory  to   most   persons   beside;    some 


24  BABYLONIAN    AND 

notice  must,  however,  be  taken  of  it  here,  in  order  to 
show  the  reasons  for  the  dates  and  epochs  fixed  upon 
for  the  Genesis  legends. 

In  this  case  the  later  chronology  is  not  in  question, 
and  it  is  best  to  start  with  the  generally  received 
date  of  about  B.C.  1300  for  the  conquest  of  Babylonia 
by  Tugultininip,  king  of  Assyria.  Before  this  date 
we  have  a  period  of  about  250  years,  during  which  a 
foreign  race  ruled  at  Babylon.  Berosus  calls  these 
foreigners  Arabs,  but  nothing  is  known  as  to  their 
original  home  or  race.  It  is  supposed  that  this  race 
came  into  Babylonia,  or  obtained  dominion  there 
under  a  king  named  Hammurabi,  whose  date  is  thus 
fixed  about  B.C.  1550.  Many  scholars  do  not  agree 
to  this,  and  consider  Hammurabi  much  more  ancient ; 
no  one,  however,  fixes  him  later  than  the  sixteenth 
century  B.C.,  so  that  the  date  B.C.  1550  may  be 
accepted  as  the  most  moderate  one  possible  for  the 
epoch  of  Hammurabi.  The  date  of  Hammurabi  is  of 
consequence  in  the  question,  because  there  is  no 
evidence  of  these  legends  being  written  after  his 
epoch. 

This  circumstance  may  be  accounted  for  by  the 
fact  that  during  the  period  following  the  conquest  of 
Hammurabi  the  government  was  in  the  hands  of 
foreio-ners,  and  was  much  more  centralized  than  it 
had  been  before,  Babylon  being,  so  far  as  we  know, 
the  sole  capital,  the  great  cities  which  had  been 
centres  of  hterature  suffering  a  decline. 

Before  the  time  of  Hammurabi,  there  ruled  several 


ASSYRIAN    LITEBATUUE.  26 

races  of  kings,  of  whom  we  possess  numerous  monu- 
ments. These  monarchs  principally  reigned  at  the 
cities  of  Ur,Karrak,  Larsa,  and  Akkad.  Their  inscrip- 
tions do  not  determine  the  length  o;t' their  rule,  but  they 
probably  covered  the  period  from  B.C.  2000  to  1550. 
The  name  of  the  monarch  in  whose  time  we  have  the 
first  satisfactory  evidence  of  contemporary  monu- 
ments is  read  Urukh,  and  in  the  present  state  of  our 
researches  he  may  be  fixed  B.C.  2000.  It  must, 
however,  be  remarked  that  many  scholars  place  him 
at  a  much  earlier  date.  From  the  tmie  of  Urukh  to 
that  of  Hammurabi  the  title  of  honour  principally 
taken  by  the  kings  is  "  King  of  Sumu'  and  Akkad," 
that  is,  King  of  Lower  and  Upper  Babylonia.  It 
appears  probable  that  previous  to  the  reign  of  Urukh 
the  two  divisions  of  Sumir  and  Akkad  were  separate 
monarchies;  and  it  is  therefore  likely  that  any  lite- 
rature written  before  B.C.  2000  will  show  evidences 
of  this  division. 

The  rough  outlines  of  Babylonian  chronology  at 
this  period  may  be  arranged  as  follows,  always  bear- 
ing in  mind  that  the  different  dates  are  the  lowest 
we  can  fairly  assume,  and  that  several  of  them  may 
be  much  more  ancient : — 

Down  to  B.C.  2000  epoch  of  independent  king- 
doms in  Babylonia ;  the  principal  centre  of  activity 
being  Akkad,  a  region  on  the  Euphrates,  somewhere 
between  latitudes  32°  and  33°. 

B.C.  2000.  Era  of  Urukh,  king  of  Ur,  rise  of  Sumir, 
the  southern  part  of  the  country,  Ur  the  metropolis. 


26  BABYLONIAN    AND 

B.C.  1850.  Era  of  Ismi-clagan,  king  of  Karrak, 
Karrak  the  metropolis. 

B.C.  1700.  Rise  of  Larsa  as  metropolis. 

B.C.  1600.  Era  of  Sargon,  king  of  Akkad;  revival 
of  the  power  of  Akkad. 

B.C.  1550.  Era  of  Hammurabi,  king  of  Babylon. 
Babylon  the  metropolis. 

Although  we  cannot  fix  the  dates  of  any  monu- 
ments before  the  time  of  Urukh,  B.C.  2000,  it  is  quite 
certain  that  there  were  buildings  and  inscriptions 
before  that  date ;  and  there  are  two  literary  works 
which  I  should  judge  to  be  certainly  older  than  this 
epoch,  namely,  the  great  Chaldean  work  on  Astrology, 
and  a  legend  which,  for  want  of  a  better  title,  I  call 
the  Exploits  of  Lubara. 

The  Chaldean  work,  containing  the  bulk  of  their 
astrology,  appears  to  belong  to  the  northern  half  of 
the  country,  that  is  to  Akkad,  and  always  speaks 
of  Akkad  as  a  sepal-ate  state,  and  implies  it  to  be  the 
leading  state.  It  mentions  besides,  the  kingdoms  of 
Subartu,  Martu,  or  Syria,  Gutim  or  Goim,  and  Elam, 
and  some  parts,  perhaps  of  later  date  than  the  body 
of  the  work,  give  also  the  kingdoms  of  Kassi,  Kissati, 
or  the  peoples,  Nituk  or  Asmun,  Sumir,  Yamutbal, 
and  Assan.  In  the  body  of  the  work  there  appear 
glosses,  apparently  later  additions,  mentioning  kings 
of  the  period  B.C.  2000  to  1850.  I  have  not  noticed 
any  gloss  containing  a  royal  name  later  than  the 
kings  of  Ur. 

The  work  I  have  provisionally  called  "  The  Ex- 


ASSYRIAN    LITEBATUBE.  27 

ploits  of  Liibara,"  and  which  also  bears  evidence  of 
great  antiquity,  is  a  much  shorter  one,  for  while 
there  are  over  seventy  large  tablets  of  the  astrology, 
this,  on  the  other  hand,  only  contained  five  small 
tablets.  This  work  notices  a  large  number  of  peoples 
or  states,  the  principal  being  the  people  of  the  coast, 
Subartu,  Assyria,  Elam,  Kassi,  Sutu,  Goim,  Lullubu, 
Akkad ;  the  uniting  of  Sumir  and  Akkad,  which  was 
accomplished  at  least  B.C.  2000,  is  not  mentioned,  but 
the  notice  of  the  Assyrians  is  rather  an  argument 
for  a  later  date  than  I  have  chosen. 

The  Izdubar  legends,  containing  the  story  of  the 
Flood,  and  what  I  beheve  to  be  the  history  of  Ximrod, 
were  probably  written  in  the  south  of  the  country, 
and  at  least  as  early  as  B.C.  2000.  These  legends 
were,  however,  traditions  before  they  were  committed 
to  writing,  and  were  common  in  some  form  to  all  the 
country.  The  story  of  the  Creation  and  Fall  belongs 
to  the  upper  or  Akkad  division  of  the  country,  and 
may  not  have  been  committed  to  writing  so  early  as 
the  Izdubar  legends;  but  even  this  is  of  great 
antiquity. 

About  the  same  time  as  the  account  of  the  Crea- 
tion, a  series  of  tablets  on  evil  s^^irits,  which  contained 
a  totally  different  tradition  of  the  Creation,  was 
probably  written ;  and  there  is  a  third  account  from 
the  City  of  Cutha,  closely  agreeing  in  some  respects 
with  the  account  handed  down  by  Berosus,  which  I 
should  provisionally  place  about  the  same  date.  It 
seems,  from  the  indications  in  the  inscriptions,  that 


28  BABYLONIAN    AND 

there  happened  in  the  interval  B.C.  2000  to  1850  a 
general  collecting  and  development  of  the  various 
traditions  of  the  Creation,  Flood,  Tower  of  Babel,  and 
other  similar  legends. 

A  Httle  later,  about  B.C.  1600,  a  new  set  of  astro- 
logical tablets  was  written,  together  with  a  long  work 
on  terrestrial  omens ;  these  appear  to  belong  to  the 
kingdom  and  period  of  Sargon,  king  of  Akkad. 

Some  at  least,  and  probably  most  of  the  syllabaries, 
bilingual  and  explanatory  tablets,  grammars  and 
vocabularies,  belong  to  this  period  also ;  but  a  few 
are  of  later  date. 

In  spite  of  the  indications  as  to  pecuharities  of 
worship,  names  of  states  and  capitals,  historical  allu- 
sions and  other  evidence,  it  may  seem  hazardous  to 
many  persons  to  fix  the  dates  of  original  documents 
so  high,  when  our  only  copies  in  many  cases  are 
Assyrian  transcripts  made  in  the  reign  of  Assurbani- 
pal,  in  the  seventh  century  B.C.;  but  one  or  two  con- 
siderations may  show  that  this  is  a  perfectly  reasonable 
view,  and  no  other  likely  period  can  be  found  for 
the  original  composition  of  the  documents  unless  we 
ascend  to  a  greater  antiquit}^  In  the  first  place,  it 
must  be  noticed  that  the  Assyrians  themselves  state 
that  the  documents  were  copied  from  ancient  Baby- 
lonian copies,  and  in  some  cases  state  that  the  old 
copies  were  partly  illegible  even  in  their  day.  Again, 
in  one  case  there  is  actual  proof  of  the  antiquity  of  a 
text,  an  Assyrian  copy  of  part  of  which  is  published 
in  "  Cuneiform  Inscriptions,"  vol.  ii.  plate  54,  Nos. 


ASSYRIAN    LITEBATUBE.  29 

3  &  4.  In  a  collection  of  tablets  discovered  by  Mr. 
Loftus  at  Senkereh,  belonging,  according  to  the 
kings  mentioned  in  it,  to  about  B.C.  1600,  is  part  of 
an  ancient  Babylonian  copy  of  this  very  text,  the 
Babylonian  copy  being  about  one  thousand  years 
older  than  the  Assyrian  one. 

It  is,  however,  probable  that  most  of  the  legends 
treated  of  in  the  present  volume  had  existed  as 
traditions  in  the  country  long  before  they  were  com- 
mitted to  writing,  and  some  of  these  traditions,  as 
embodied  in  the  various  works,  exhibit  great  diffe- 
rence in  details,  showing  that  they  had  passed 
through  many  changes. 

Taking  the  period  of  literary  development  in 
Babylonia  as  extending  from  B.C.  2000  to  1550,  we 
may  say,  it  roughly  synchronizes  with  the  period 
from  Abraham  to  Moses,  according  to  the  ordinary 
chronology  of  our  Bibles,  and  during  this  j^eriod  it 
appears  that  traditions  of  the  creation  of  the 
universe,  and  human  history  down  to  the  time  of 
Kimrod,  existed  parallel  to,  and  in  some  points 
identical  with,  those  given  in  the  Book  of  Genesis. 

Many  of  the  documents  embodying  these  tradi- 
tions have  been  discovered  in  sadly  mutilated  con- 
dition, but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  future 
explorations  will  reveal  more  perfect  copies,  and 
numerous  companion  and  explanatory  texts,  which 
will  one  day  clear  up  the  difficulties  which  now 
meet  us  at  every  step  of  their  consideration. 

So   far  as   known  contemporary  inscriptions  are 


30  BABYLONIAN    AND 

concerned,  we  cannot  consider  our  present  researches 
and  discoveries  as  anything  like  suificient  to  give  a 
fair  view  of  the  literature  of  Assyria  and  Babylonia, 
and,  however  numerous  and  important  are  the  Genesis 
legends,  they  form  but  a  small  portion  of  the  whole 
literature  of  the  country. 

It  is  generally  considered  that  the  earliest  inscrip- 
tions of  any  importance  which  we  now  possess  belong 
to  the  time  of  Urukh,  king  of  Ur,  whose  age  may  be 
placed  with  great  probability  about  two  thousand 
years  before  the  Christian  era. 

The  principal  inscriptions  of  this  period  consist  of 
texts  on  bricks  and  on  signet  cylinders,  and  some  of 
the  latter  may  be  of  much  greater  antiquity.  Passing 
down  to  the  period  of  the  kingdoms  of  Karrak,  Larsa, 
and  Akkad,  we  find  a  great  accession  of  literary 
material,  almost  every  class  of  writing  being  repre- 
sented by  contemporary  specimens.  It  is  certain 
that  even  then  the  inscribed  clay  tablets  were  not 
isolated,  but  already  they  were  arranged  in  collec- 
tions or  libraries,  and  these  collections  were  placed  at 
some  of  the  principal  cities.  From  Senkerch  and  its 
neighbourhood  have  come  our  earliest  specimens  of 
these  literary  tablets,  the  following  being  some  of  the 
contents  of  this  earliest  known  library  : — 

1.  Mythological  tablets,  including  lists  of  the  gods, 
and  their  manifestations  and  titles. 

2.  Grammatical  works,  lists  of  words,  and  explana- 
tions. 

3.  Mathematical  works,  calculations,  tables,  cube 
and  square  root,  measures. 


ASSYRIAN    LITEBATUBE.  31 

4.  Astronomy,  astrology,  and  omens. 

5.  Legends  and  short  historical  inscriptions. 

6.  Historical  cylinders,  one  of  Kudur-mabuk,  B.C. 
1600  (the  earliest  known  cylinder),  being  in  the  British 
Museum. 

7.  Geographical  tablets,  and  lists  of  towns  and 
countries. 

8.  Laws  and  law  cases,  sale  and  barter,  wills  and 
loans. 

Such  are  the  inscriptions  from  the  libraries  of  the 
early  inhabitants  of  Babjdonia,  and  beside  these  there 
are  numerous  texts,  only  known  to  us  through  later 
copies,  but  which  certainly  had  theu'  origin  as  early 
as  this  period. 

Passing  down  from  this  period,  for  some  centuries 
we  find  only  detached  inscriptions,  accompanied  by 
evidence  of  the  gradual  shifting  both  of  the  political 
power  and  literary  activity  from  Babylonia  to 
Assyria. 

In  Assyria  the  first  centre  of  Literature  and  seat 
of  a  library  was  the  city  of  Assur  (Kileh  Shergat), 
and  the  earliest  known  tablets  date  about  B.C.  1500. 

Beyond  the  scanty  records  of  some  of  the  monarchs 
nothing  of  value  remains  of  this  library  for  several 
centuries,  and  the  Assyrian  literary  works  are  only 
known  from  later  copies. 

A  revival  of  the  Assyrian  empire  began  under 
Assur-nazir-pal,  king  of  Assyria,  who  ascended  the 
throne  B.C.  885.  He  rebuilt  the  city  of  Calah  (Nim- 
roud),  and  this  city  became  the  seat  of  an  Assyrian 
library.     Tablets  were  procured  from  Bab}lonia  by 


•TT'W  TTT  T? 


82  BABYLONIAN    AND 

Shalmaneser,  son  of  Assur-nazir-pal,  B.C.  860,  during 
the  reign  of  Nabu-bal-iclina,  king  of  Babylon,  and  these 
were  copied  by  the  Assyrian  scribes,  and  placed  in 
the  royal  library.  Vul-nirari,  grandson  of  Shalma- 
neser,  b.c.  812,  added  to  the  Calah  library,  and  had 
tablets  written  at  Xineveh.  Assurnirari,  B.C.  755, 
continued  the  literary  work,  some  mythological 
tablets  being  dated  in  his  reign. 

Tiglath  Pileser,  B.C.  745,  enlarged  the  library,  and 
placed  in  it  various  copies  of  historical  inscriptions. 
It  Avas,  however,  reserved  for  Sargon,  who  founded 
the  last  Assyrian  dynasty,  B.C.  722,  to  make  the 
Assyrian  royal  library  worthy  of  the  empire.  Early 
in  his  reign  he  appointed  Nabu-suqub-gina  principal 
librarian,  and  this  officer  set  to  work  making  new 
copies  of  all  the  standard  works  of  the  day.  During 
the  whole  of  his  term  of  office  copies  of  the  great 
literary  works  were  produced,  the  majority  of  the 
texts  preserved  belonging  to  the  early  period  previous 
to  B.C.  1600. 

In  the  period  which  followed  there  was  a  general 
revival  of  all  the  ancient  works  which  had  escaped 
destruction,  and  the  study  of  this  early  literature 
became  a  marked  feature  of  the  time. 

Sennacherib,  son  of  Sargon,  B.C.  705,  continued  to 
add  to  his  father's  library  at  Calah,  but  late  in  his 
reign  he  removed  the  collection  from  that  city  to 
Nineveh,  where  from  this  time  the  national  library 
remained  until  the  fall  of  the  empire. 

Esarhaddon,  son  of  Sennacherib,  b.c.  681,  further 


ASSYRIAN    LITERATURE.  33 

increased  the  national  collection,  most  of  his  work? 
being  of  a  religions  character. 

Assnrbanipal,  son  of  Esarhacldon,  the  Sardanapalus 
of  the  Greeks,  B.C.  673,  was  the  greatest  of  the 
Assjrian  sovereigns,  and  he  is  far  more  memorable 
on  account  of  his  magnificent  patronage  of  learning 
than  on  account  of  the  greatness  of  his  empire  or  the 
extent  of  his  wars. 

Assnrbanipal  added  more  to  the  Assyrian  roj^al 
library  than  all  the  kings  who  had  gone  before  him, 
and  it  is  to  tablets  written  in  his  reign  that  we  owe 
almost  all  our  knowledge  of  the  Babylonian  myths 
and  early  history,  beside  many  other  important 
matters. 

The  agents  of  Assnrbanipal  sought  everywhere  for 
inscribed  tablets,  brought  them  to  Nineveh,  and 
copied  them  there ;  thus  the  literary  treasures  of 
Babylon,  Borsippa,  Cutha,  Akkad,  Ur,  Erech,  Larsa, 
Nipur  and  various  other  cities  were  transferred  to 
the  Assyrian  capital  to  enrich  the  great  collection 
there. 

The  fragments  brought  over  to  Europe  give  us  a 
good  idea  of  this  library  and  show  the  range  of  the 
subjects  embraced  by  this  collection  of  inscriptions. 
Among  the  different  classes  of  texts,  the  Genesis 
stories  and  similar  legends  occupied  a  prominent 
place ;  these,  as  they  will  be  further  described  in  the 
present  volume,  need  only  be  mentioned  here.  Ac- 
companying them  we  have  a  series  of  mythological 
tablets  of  various  sorts,  varjdng  from  legends  of  the 

D 


34  BABYLONIAN    AND 

gods,  psalms,  songs,  pra3^ers,  and  hymns,  down  to 
mere  allusions  and  lists  of  names.  Many  of  these 
texts  take  the  form  of  charms  to  be  used  in  sickness 
and  for  the  expulsion  of  evil  spirits ;  some  of  them 
are  •  of  great  antiquity,  being  at  least  as  old  as  the 
creation  and  Izdubar  legends.  One  fine  series  con- 
cerns the  cure  of  witchcraft,  a  superstition  fully 
believed  in  in  those  days.  Izdubar  is  mentioned  in 
one  of  these  tablets  as  lord  of  the  oaths  or  pledges 
of  the  world. 

Some  of  the  prayers  were  for  use  on  special  occa- 
sions, such  as  on  starting  on  a  campaign,  on  the 
occurrence  of  an  eclipse,  &c.  Astronomy  and 
Astrology  Avere  represented  by  various  detached 
inscriptions  and  reports,  but  principally  by  the  great 
work  on  these  subjects  covering  over  seventy  tablets 
which  was  borrowed  from  the  early  Chaldeans,  and 
many  copies  of  which  were  in  the  Library  of  Assur- 
banipal.  This  work  on  Astrology  and  Astronomy 
was,  as  I  have  already  stated,  one  of  the  most  ancient 
texts  in  the  Euphrates  valley. 

There  were  also  numerous  copies  of  a  long  work 
on  Terrestrial  omens,  which  appears  to  date  from 
the  time  of  Sargon,  king  of  Akkad,  about  B.C.  1600. 
In  this  work  everything  in  nature  is  supposed  to 
portend  some  coming  event. 

There  is  a  frao^ment  of  one  Astrolomcal  tablet 
which  professes  to  be  copied  from  an  original  of  the 
time  of  Izdubar. 

Historical   texts    formed    another   section    of  the 


ASSYRIAN    LITERATURE.  35 

library,  and  these  included  numerous  copies  of  inscrip- 
tions of  early  Babylonian  kings ;  there  were  beside, 
chronological  tablets  with  lists  of  kings  and  annual 
officers,  inscriptions  of  various  Assp'ian  monarchs, 
histories  of  the  relations  between  Assyria  and  Baby- 
lonia, Elam,  and  Arabia,  treaties,  despatches,  procla- 
mations, and  reports  on  the  state  of  the  empu'e  and 
military  affairs. 

Natural  history  was  represented  by  tables  of 
animals ;  mammals,  birds,  reptiles,  fishes,  insects,  and 
plants,  trees,  grasses,  reeds,  and  gi-ains,  earths,  stones, 
&c.  These  lists  are  classified  according  to  the  sup- 
posed nature  and  affinities  of  the  various  species, 
and  show  considerable  advance  in  the  sciences.  Mathe- 
matics had  a  place  in  the  library,  there  being  pro- 
blems, figures,  and  calculations;  but  this  branch  of 
learning  was  not  studied  so  fully  as  in  Babylonia. 

Grammar  and  Lexicography  were  better  repre- 
sented, there  being  many  works  on  these  subjects, 
including  lists  of  the  signs  and  explanations,  declen- 
sion of  nouns,  conjugation  of  verbs,  examples  of 
syntax,  bihngual  tables,  explanatory  fists,  &c.  All 
these  tablets  were  copied  from  the  Babylonians.  In 
law  and  civil  matters  the  library  was  also  rich,  and 
the  tablets  serve  to  shoAv  that  the  same  laws  and 
customs  prevailed  in  Assyria  as  in  Babylonia.  There 
are  codes  of  laws,  law  cases,  sale,  barter,  loans,  lists 
of  property,  fists  of  titles  and  trades,  tribute,  and 
taxes,  &c. 

In  Geography  the  Assyiians  were  not  very  forward ; 


36  ASSYRIAN    LITEBATUBE. 

but  there  are  lists  of  countries  and  their  productions, 
of  cities,  rivers,  mountains,  and  peoples. 

Such  are  some  of  the  principal  contents  of  the 
great  library  from  which  we  have  obtained  our  copies 
of  the  Creation  and  Flood  legends,  most  of  the  tablets 
were  copied  from  early  Babylonian  inscriptions,  the 
original  copies   of  the    works   have    in    most  cases 
disappeared ;  but  these  remarkable  inscriptions  have 
preserved  to   us   texts    which    show  the  wonderful 
advance  made  by  the  people  of  Chaldea  before  the 
time  of  Moses.     Babylonian   hterature,  which  had 
been  the  parent  of  Assyrian  writing,  revived  after 
the  fall  of  Nineveh,  and    Nebuchadnezzar    and   his 
successors  made  Babylon  the  seat  of  a  hbrary  rival- 
ling that  of  Assurbanipal  at  Nineveh.     Of  this  later 
development  of  Bab)  Ionian  literature  we  know  very 
little,  explorations  being  still  required  to  bring  to 
light  the  texts  of  this  epoch.     Few  fragments  only, 
discovered   by   wandering   Arabs   or   recovered    by 
chance  travellers,  have  yet  turned  up,  but  there  is  in 
them  evidence  enough  to  promise  a  rich  reward  to 
future  excavators. 


Chapter  III. 

CHALDEAN  LEGENDS  TEANSMITTED  THROUGH 

BEROSUS  AND  OTHER  ANCIENT 

AUTHORS. 


BerosTis  and  his  copyists. — Cory's  translation. — Alexander 
Polyliistor.  —  Babylonia.  —  Cannes,  his  teaching. — Creation. — 
Belus.  —  Chaldean  kings.  —  Xisuthrus. — Deluge. — The  Ark. — 
Return  to  Babylon. — ApoUodorus. — Pantibiblon. — Larancha. — 
Abydenus. — Alorus,  first  king. — Ten  kings. — Sisithrus. — De- 
luge.— Armenia. — Tower  of  Babel. — Cronos  and  Titan. — Nico- 
laus  Damascenus. — Dispersion  from  Hestiaeus. — Babylonian 
colonies. — Tower  of  Babel. — The  Sibyl. — Titan  and  Prometheus. 
— Damascius. — Tauthe. — Moymis. — Kissare  and  Assorus. — 
Triad.— Bel. 

HAVE  included  in  this  chapter  the 
principal  extracts  from  ancient  authors 
respecting  the  Babylonian  accounts  of 
Genesis.     Many  others  are  known,  but 

are  of  doubtful  origin,  and  of  less  immediate  interest 

to  my  subject. 

Berosus,  from  whom   tJie   principal   extracts   are 

copied,  lived,   as  I  have  mentioned  in  Chapter   I., 

about  B.C.  330  to  260,  and,  from  his  position  as  a 


38  CHALDEAN    LEGENDS. 

Babylonian  priest,  had  the  best  means  of  knowing  the 
Babylonian  traditions. 

The  others  are  later  writers,  who  copied  in  the 
main  from  Berosus,  and  whose  notices  may  be  taken 
as  giving  abridgments  of  his  statements. 

I  have  preferred  as  usual,  the  translations  of  Cory 
as  being  standard  ones,  and  made  without  prejudice 
from  recent  discoveries. 

Extract  I.  from  Alexander  Polthistor 
(Cory,  p.  21). 

Berosus,  in  the  first  book  of  his  history  of  Baby- 
lonia, informs  us  that  he  lived  in  the  age  of  Alexander, 
the  son  of  Philip.  And  he  mentions  that  there 
were  written  accounts,  preserved  at  Babylon  with 
the  greatest  care,  comprehending  a  period  of  above 
fifteen  myriads  of  years;  and  that  these  writings 
contained  histories  of  the  heaven  and  of  the  sea ;  of 
the  birth  of  mankind;  and  of  the  kings,  and  of  the 
memorable  actions  which  they  had  achieved. 

And  in  the  first  place  he  describes  Babylonia  as  a 
country  situated  between  the  Tigris  and  the  Eu- 
phrates; that  it  abounded  with  wheat,  and  barley, 
and  ocrus,  and  sesame ;  and  that  in  the  lakes  were 
produced  the  roots  called  gongte,  which  are  fit  for 
food,  and  in  respect  to  nutriment  similar  to  barley. 
That  there  Avere  also  palm-trees  and  apples,  and  a 
variety  of  fruits ;  fish  also  and  birds,  both  those 
which  are  merely  of  flight,  and  those  which  frequent 
the  lakes.     He  adds  that  those  parts  of  the  country 


CHALDEAN    LEGENDS.  39 

^vIllch  bordered  upon  Arabia  Avere  without  water, 
and  barren;  but  that  the  parts  which  lay  on  the 
other  side  were  both  hilly  and  fertile. 

At  Babylon  there  was  (in  these  times)  a  great 
resort  of  people  of  various  nations,  who  inhabited 
Chaldea,  and  lived  in  a  lawless  manner  like  the 
beasts  of  the  field. 

In  the  first  year  there  appeared,  from  that  part  of 
the  Erythraean  sea  which  borders  upon  Babylonia, 
an  animal   endowed  with  reason,  by  name  Oannes, 


Oaitnes  and  other  Babtlont.vn  Mythological  Figures 
FROM  Cylinder. 

whose  whole  body  (according  to  the  account  of 
Apollodorus)  was  that  of  a  fish ;  that  under  the  fish's 
head  he  had  another  head,  with  feet  also  below 
similar  to  those  of  a  man,  subjoined  to  the  fish's 
tail.  His  voice,  too,  and  language  were  articulate 
and  human  ;  and  a  representation  of  him  is  preserved 
even  to  this  day. 

This  being  was  accustomed  to  pass  the  day  among 
men,  but  took  no  food  at  that  season ;  and  he  gave 
them  an  insight  into  letters  and  sciences,  and  arts  of 
every  kind.     He  taught  them  to  construct  cities,  to 


40  CHALDEAN    LEGENDS. 

found  temples,  to  compile  laws,  and  explained  to 
them  the  principles  of  geometrical  knowledge,  fie 
made  them  distinguish  the  seeds  of  the  earth,  and 
showed  them  how  to  collect  the  fruits ;  in  short,  he 
instructed  them  in  every  thing  which  could  tend  to 
soften  manners  and  humanize  their  lives.  From  that 
time,  nothing  material  has  been  added  by  way  of 
improvement  to  his  instructions.  And  when  the 
sun  had  set  this  being  Oannes  retired  again  into  the 
sea,  and  passed  the  night  in  the  deep,  for  he  was 
amphibious.  After  this  there  appeared  other  animals 
like  Oannes,  of  which  Berosus  proposes  to  give  an 
account  when  he  comes  to  the  history  of-  the  kings. 
Moreover,  Oannes  wrote  concerning  the  generation 
of  mankind,  and  of  their  civil  polity;  and  the  fol- 
lowing is  the  purport  of  what  he  said  : — 

"  There  was  a  time  in  which  there  existed  nothing 
but  darkness  and  an  abyss  of  waters,  wherein 
resided  most  hideous  beings,  which  were  produced 
of  a  two-fold  principle.  There  appeared  men,  some 
of  whom  were  furnished  with  two  wings,  others  with 
four,  and  with  two  faces.  They  had  one  body,  but 
two  heads ;  the  one  that  of  a  man,  the  other  of  a 
woman;  and  likewise  in  their  several  organs  both 
male  and  female.  Other  human  figures  were  to  be 
seen  with  the  legs  and  horns  of  a  goat ;  some  had 
horses'  feet,  while  others  united  the  hind  quarters 
of  a  horse  with  the  body  of  a  man,  resembling  in 
shape  the  hippocentaurs.  Bulls  likewise  were  bred 
there  with  the  heads  of  men ;  and  dogs  with  fourfold 


CHALDEAN    LEGENDS. 


41 


bodies,  terminated  in  their  extremities  with  the  tails 
of  fishes;  horses  also  with  the  heads  of  dogs;  men, 
too,  and  other  animals,  with  the  heads  and  bodies  of 
horses,  and  the  tails  of  fishes.  In  short,  there  were 
creatures  in  which  were  combined  the  limbs  of  every 
species  of  animals.  In  addition  to  these,  fishes, 
reptiles,  serpents,  with  other  monstrous  animals, 
which  assumed  each  other's  shape  and  countenance. 


^  :r 


Composite  Animals  from  Cylinder. 


Of  all  which  were  preserved  delineations  in  the 
temple  of  Belus  at  Babylon. 

"  The  person  who  presided  over  tliem  was  a  woman 
named  Omoroca,  which  in  the  Chaldean  lang-uao-e  is 
Thalatth,  in  Greek  Thalassa,  the  sea;  but  which 
might  equally  be  interpreted  the  moon.  All  things 
being  in  this  situation,  Belus  came,  and  cut  the 
woman  asunder,  and  of  one  half  of  her  he  formed 
the  earth,  and  of  the  other  half  the  heavens,  and  at 
the  same  time  destroyed  the  animals  within  her  (or 
in  the  abyss). 

"All  this"  (he  says)  "was  an  allegorical  description 
of  nature.      For,    the  whole  universe  consistino-  of 

o 


42  CHALDEAN    LEGENDS. 

moisture,  and  animals  being  continually  generated 
therein,  the  deity  above-mentioned  took  off  his  own 
head ;  upon  which  the  other  gods  mixed  the  blood, 
as  it  gushed  out,  and  from  thence  formed  men.  On 
this  account  it  is  that  they  are  rational,  and  partake 
of  divine  knowledge.  This  Belus,  by  whom  they 
signify  Jupiter,  divided  the  darkness,  and  separated 
the  heavens  from  the  earth,  and  reduced  the  universe 
to  order.  But  the  animals,  not  being  able  to  bear 
the  prevalence  of  light,  died.  Belus  upon  this, 
seeing  a  vast  space  unoccupied,  though  by  nature 
fruitful,  commanded  one  of  the  gods  to  take  off  his 
head,  and  to  mix  the  blood  with  the  earth,  and  from 
thence  to  form  other  men  and  animals,  which  should 
be  capable  of  bearing  the  air.  Belus  formed  also 
the  stars,  and  the  sun,  and  the  moon,  and  the  five 
planets."  (Such,  according  to  Polyhistor  Alexander, 
is  the  account  which  Berosus  gives  in  his  first 
book.) 

(In  the  second  book  was  contained  the  history  of 
the  ten  kings  of  the  Chaldeans,  and  the  periods  of 
the  continuance  of  each  reign,  which  consisted  col- 
lectively of  an  hundred  and  twenty  sari,  or  four 
hundred  and  thirty-two  thousand  years ;  reaching  to 
the  time  of  the  Deluge.  For  Alexander,  enumerating 
the  kings  from  the  writings  of  the  Chaldeans,  after 
the  ninth  Ardates,  proceeds  to  the  tenth,  who  is 
called  by  them  Xisuthrus,  in  this  manner) : — 

"After  the  death  of  Ardates,  his  son  Xisuthrus 
reigned  eighteen  sari.     In  his  time  happened  a  great 


CHALDEAN    LEGENDS.  43 

deluge ;  the  history  of  which  is  thus  described.  The 
deity  Cronos  appeared  to  him  in  a  vision,  and 
warned  him  that  upon  the  fifteenth  day  of  the 
month  Daesius  there  Avould  be  a  flood,  by  which 
mankind  would  be  destroyed.  He  therefore  enjoined 
him  to  write  a  history  of  the  beginning,  procedure, 
and  conclusion  of  all  things,  and  to  bury  it  in  the 
city  of  the  Sun  at  Sippara;  and  to  build  a  vessel, 
and  take  with  him  into  it  his  friends  and  relations ; 
and  to  convey  on  board  every  thing  necessary  to 
sustain  life,  together  with  all  the  different  animals, 
both  birds  and  quadrupeds,  and  trust  himself  fear- 
lessly to  the  dee^).  Having  asked  the  Deity  whither 
he  was  to  sail,  he  was  answered,  '  To  the  Gods ; ' 
upon  which  he  offered  up  a  j^rayer  for  the  good  of 
mankind.  He  then  obeyed  the  divine  admonition, 
and  built  a  vessel  five  stadia  in  length,  and  two  in 
breadth.  Into  this  he  put  everything  which  he  had 
prepared,  and  last  of  all  conveyed  into  it  his  wife, 
his  children,  and  his  friends. 

After  the  flood  had  been  upon  the  earth,  and  was 
in  time  abated,  Xisuthrus  sent  out  birds  from  the 
vessel;  which  not  finding  any  food,  nor  any  place 
whereupon  they  might  rest  their  feet,  returned  to 
him  again.  After  an  interval  of  some  days,  he  sent 
them  forth  a  second  time;  and  they  now  returned 
with  their  feet  tinged  with  mud.  lie  made  a  trial  a 
third  time  ^T,th  these  birds  ;  but  they  returned  to 
him  no  more :  from  whence  he  judged  that  the 
surface  of  the  earth  had  appeared  above  the  waters. 


44  CHALDEAN    LEGENDS. 

He  therefore  made  an  opening  in  the  vessel,  and 
upon  looking  out  found  that  it  was  stranded  upon 
the  side  of  some  mountain ;  upon  which  he  imme- 
diately quitted  it  with  his  wife,  his  daughter,  and 
the  pilot.  Xisuthrus  then  paid  his  adoration  to  the 
earth  :  and,  having  constructed  an  altar,  offered 
sacrifices  to  the  gods,  and,  with  those  who  had 
come  out  of  the  vessel  with  him,  disappeared. 

They,  who  remained  within,  finding  that  their 
companions  did  not  return,  quitted  the  vessel  with 
many  lamentations,  and  called  continually  on  the 
name  of  Xisuthrus.  Him  they  saw  no  more  ;  but 
they  could  distinguish  his  voice  in  the  air,  and  could 
hear  him  admonish  them  to  pay  due  regard  to  re- 
ligion; and  likewise  informed  them  that  it  was  upon 
account  of  his  piety  that  he  was  translated  to  live 
with  the  gods,  that  his  wife  and  daughter  and  the 
pilot  had  obtained  the  same  honour.  To  this  he 
added  that  they  should  return  to  Babylonia,  and, 
as  it  was  ordained,  search  for  the  writings  at  Sip- 
para,  which  they  were  to  make  known  to  all  man- 
kind; moreover,  that  the  place  wherein  they  then 
were  was  the  land  of  Armenia.  The  rest  having 
heard  these  words  offered  sacrifices  to  the  gods,  and, 
taking  a  circuit,  journeyed  towards  Babylonia. 

The  vessel  being  thus  stranded  in  Armenia,  some 
part  of  it  yet  remains  in  the  Corcyra3an  mountains 
of  Armenia,  and  the  people  scrape  off  the  bitumen 
with  which  it  had  been  outwardly  coated,  and  make 
use  of  it  by  way  of  an  alexipharmic   and  amulet. 


CHALDEAN    LEGENDS.  45 

And  when  they  returned  to  Babylon  and  had  found 
the  writings  at  Sippara  they  built  cities  and  erected 
temples,  and  Babylon  was  thus  inhabited  again. — 
Syncel.  Chron.  xxviii.;  Euseb.  Chron.  v.  8. 

Berosus,  from  Apollodorus  (Cory,  p.  30). 
This  is  the  history  which  Berosus  has  transmitted 
to  us.  He  tells  us  that  the  first  king  was  Alorus  of 
Babylon,  a  Chaldean,  he  reigned  ten  sari;  and  after- 
wards Alaparus  and  A  melon,  who  came  from  Pante- 
biblon  ;  then  Ammenon  the  Chaldean,  in  whose  time 
appeared  the  Musarus  Cannes,  the  Annedotus  from 
the  Erythraean  sea.  (But  Alexander  Polyhistor, 
anticipating  the  event,  has  said  that  he  appeared  in 
the  first  year,  but  Apollodorus  says  that  it  was  after 
forty  sari;  Abydenus,  however,  makes  the  second 
Annedotus  appear  after  twenty-six  sari.)  Then 
succeeded  Megalarus  from  the  city  of  Pantibiblon, 
and  he  reigned  eighteen  sari ;  and  after  him  Daonus, 
the  shepherd  from  Pantibiblon,  reigned  ten  sari;  in 
his  time  (he  says)  appeared  again  from  the  Erythraean 
sea  a  fourth  Annedotus,  having  the  same  form  with 
those  above,  the  shape  of  a  fish  blended  with  that  of 
a  man.  Then  reigned  Euedorachus  from  Pantibiblon 
for  the  term  of  eighteen  sari;  in  his  days  there 
appeared  another  personage  from  the  Erythraean 
sea  like  the  former,  having  the  same  complicated 
form  between  a  fish  and  a  man,  whose  name  was 
Odacon.  (All  these,  says  Apollodorus,  related 
particularly  and   circumstantially  whatever  Cannes 


46  CHALDEAN    LEGENDS. 

had  informed  them  of;  concerniiig  these  Abydenus 
has  made  no  mention.)  Then  reigned  Amempsinus, 
a  Chaldean  from  Larancha ;  and  he  being  the  eighth 
in  order  reigned  ten  sari.  Then  reigned  Otiartes,  a 
Chaldean,  from  Larancha ;  and  he  reigned  eight  sari. 
And,  upon  the  death  of  Otiartes,  his  son  Xisuthrus 
reigned  eighteen  sari ;  in  his  time  happened  the  great 
Deluge.  So  that  the  sum  of  all  the  kings  is  ten  ;  and 
the  term  which  they  collectively  reigned  an  hundred 
and  twenty  ^iivi.— Sijncel.  Chron.  xxxix.;  Euseh. 
Chron.  V. 

Beeosus,  feom  Abydenus  (Coey,  p.  32). 
So  much  concerning  the  wisdom  of  the  Chaldeans. 

It  is  said  that  the  first  king  of  the  country  was 
Alorus,  and  that  he  gave  out  a  report  that  God  had 
appointed  him  to  be  the  shepherd  of  the  people,  he 
reigned  ten  sari;  now  a  sarus  is  esteemed  to  be  three 
thousand  six  hundred  years,  a  neros  six  hundred, 
and  a  sossus  sixty. 

After  him  Alaparus  reigned  three  sari;  to  him 
succeeded  Amillarus  from  the  city  of  Pantibiblon,  who 
reigned  thirteen  sari ;  in  his  time  came  up  from  the 
sea  a  second  Annedotus,  a  semi-demon  very  similar 
in  his  form  to  Cannes ;  after  Amillarus  reigned  Am- 
menon  twelve  sari,  who  was  of  the  city  of  Panti- 
biblon; then  Megalarus  of  the  same  place  reigned 
eighteen  sari ;  then  Daos  the  shepherd  governed  for 
the  space  of  ten  sari,  he  was  of  Pantibiblon ;  in  his 
time   four    double-shaped    personages  came   up   out 


CUALBEAN    LEGENDS.  47 

of  the  sea  to  land,  wliose  names  were  Euedocus, 
Eneiigamus,  Eneuboulus,  and  Aneraentus ;  after- 
wards in  the  time  of  Euedoreschus  appeared  another, 
Anodaphus.  After  these  reigned  other  kings,  and 
last  of  all  Sisithrus,  so  that  in  the  whole  the  number 
amounted  to  ten  kings,  and  the  term  of  their  reigns 
to  an  hundred  and  twenty  sari.  (And  among  other 
things  not  irrelative  to  the  subject  he  continues  thus 
concerning  the  Deluge) :  After  Euedoreschus  some 
others  reigned,  and  then  Sisithrus.  To  him  the 
deity  Cronos  foretold  that  on  the  fifteenth  day  of 
the  month  Dajsius  there  would  be  a  deluge  of  rain : 
and  he  commanded  him  to  deposit  all  the  writings  what- 
ever which  were  in  his  possession  in  the  city  of  the 
sun  in  Sippara.  Sisithrus,  when  he  had  complied 
with  these  commands,  sailed  immediately  to  Armenia, 
and  was  presently  inspired  by  God.  Upon  the  third 
day  after  the  cessation  of  the  rain  Sisithrus  sent  out 
birds  by  M^ay  of  experiment,  that  he  might  judge 
whether  the  flood  had  subsided.  But  the  birds, 
passing  over  an  unbounded  sea  without  finding  any 
place  of  rest,  returned  again  to  Sisithrus.  This  he 
repeated  with  other  birds.  And  when  upon  the  third 
trial  he  succeeded,  for  the  birds  then  returned  with 
their  feet  stained  with  mud,  the  gods  translated  him 
from  among  men.  With  respect  to  the  vessel,  which 
yet  remains  in  Armenia,  it  is  a  custom  of  the  inha- 
bitants to  form  bracelets  and  amulets  of  its  Avood. — 
Syncel.  Chron.  xxxvili. ;  Euseh.  Prccp.  Evan.  lib.  ix.; 
Euseb.  Chron.  v.  8. 


48  CHALDEAN    LEGENDS. 

Of  the  Tower  of  Babel  (Cory,  p.  34). 
They  say  that  the  first  inhabitants  of  the  earth, 
glorying  in  their  own  strength  and  size  and  despising 
the  gods,  undertook  to  raise  a  tower  whose  top  should 
reach  the  sky,  in  the  place  in  which  Babylon  now 
stands ;  but  w^hen  it  approached  the  heaven  the 
winds  assisted  the  gods,  and  overthrew  the  work 
upon  its  contrivers,  and  its  ruins  are  said  to  be 
still  at  Babylon;  and  the  gods  introduced  a  diversity 
of  tongues  among  men,  who  till  that  time  had  all 
spoken  the  same  language ;  and  a  war  arose  between 
Cronos  and  Titan.  The  place  in  which  they  built 
the  tower  is  now  called  Babylon  on  account  of  the 
confusion  of  tongues,  for  confusion  is  by  the  He- 
brews called  Babel, — Euseh.  Prccp.  Evan.  lib.  ix.; 
Syncel.  Chro7i.  xliv. ;  Euseh.  Chron.  xiiL 

Of  the  Ark,  from  Nicolaus  Damascenus  (Cory, 
p.  49). 
There  is  above  Minyas  in  the  land  of  Armenia  a 
very  great  mountain  which  is  called  Baris,  to  which 
it  is  said  that  many  persons  retreated  at  the  time 
of  the  Deluge  and  were  saved,  and  that  one  in  par- 
ticular was  carried  thither' in  an  ark  and  was  landed 
on  its  summit,  and  that  the  remains  of  the  vessel 
were  long  preserved  upon  the  mountain „  Perhaps 
this  was  the  same  individual  of  whom  Closes,  the 
legislator  of  the  Jews,  has  made  mention. — Jos.  Ant. 
Jud.  i.  3 ;  Euseb.  Prwp.  Evan.  ix. 


CHALDEAN    LEGENDS.  49 

Of  tiie  Dispersion",  from  HESTiiEUS  (Cory,  p.  50). 

The  priests  who  escaped  took  with  them  the  imple- 
ments of  the  worship  of  the  Enyalian  Jove,  and  came 
to  Senaar  in  Babylonia.  But  they  were  again  driven 
from  thence  by  the  introduction  of  a  diversity  of 
tongues ;  upon  which  they  Ibunded  colonies  in  various 
parts,  each  settling  in  such  situations  as  chance  or 
the  direction  of  God  led  them  to  occupy. — Jos.  A7it. 
Jud.  i.  c.  4;  Euseb.  Prccp.  Evan.  ix. 

Of  the  Tower  of  Babel,  from  Alexander  Poly- 
msTOR  (Cory,  p.  50). 

The  Sibyl  says :  That  when  all  men  formerly  spoke 
the  same  language  some  among  them  undertook  to 
erect  a  large  and  lofty  tower,  that  they  might  climb 
up  into  heaven.  But  God  sending  forth  a  whirbvind 
confounded  their  design,  and  gave  to  each  tribe  a 
particular  language  of  its  own,  which  is  the  reason 
that  the  name  of  that  city  is  Bab}lon.  After  the 
deluofe  lived  Titan  and  Prometheus,  when  Titan 
undertook  a  war  against  Cronus. — Sync.  xliv. ;  Jos. 
Ant.  Jud.  i.  c.  4 ;  Euseh.  Prcep.  Evan.  ix. 

The  Theogonies,  from  Damascius  (Cory,  p.  318). 

But  the  Babylonians,  like  the  rest  of  the  barba- 
rians, pass  over  in  silence  the  One  principle  of  the 
universe,  and  they  constitute  two,  Tauthe  and  Apa- 
son,   making  Apason  the  husband   of  Tauthe,  and 
E 


50  CHALDEAN    LEGENDS. 

denominating  her  the  mother  of  the  gods.  And 
from  these  proceeds  an  only-begotten  son,  Moymis, 
which  I  conceive  is  no  other  than  the  intelUgible 
world  proceeding  from  the  two  principles.  From 
them  also  another  progeny  is  derived,  Dache  and 
Dachus;  and  again  a  third,  Kissare  and  Assorus, 
from  which  last  three  others  proceed,  Anus,  and 
minus,  and  Aus.  And  of  Aus  and  Davce  is  born  a 
son  called  Belus,  who,  they  say,  is  the  fabricator  of 
the  world,  the  Demiurgus. 


Chapter  IY. 

BABYLOXIAX  MYTHOLOGY. 

Greek  accounts. — Mythology  local  in  origin. — Antiquity. — 
Conquests. — Colonies. — Three  great  gods. — Twelve  great  gods. 
— Angels. — Spirits. — Anu. — Anatu. — Vul. — Ishtar. — Equiva- 
lent to  Venus. — Hea. — Cannes. — Merodach. — Bel  or  Jupiter. — 
Zirat-banit,  Succoth  Benoth. — Blu. — Sin  the  moon  god. — Niuip, 
— Shamas. — Nergal. — Anunit. — Table  of  gods. 

N  their  accounts  of  the  Creation  and  of 
the  early  history  of  the  human  race  the 
Babylonian  divinities  figure  very  promi- 
nently, but  it  is  difficult  in  many  cases 
to  identify  the  deities  mentioned  by  the  Greek 
authors,  because  the  phonetic  reading  of  the  names 
of  the  Babylonian  gods  is  very  obscure,  and  the 
classical  writers  often  mention  these  divinities  by  the 
terms  in  their  own  mythology,  which  appeared  to 
them  to  correspond  with  the  Babylonian  names. 

In  this  chapter  it  is  only  proposed  to  give  a 
general  account  of  some  parts  of  the  Babylonian 
mythology,  to  show  the  relationship  between  the 
deities  and  their  titles  and  work. 


52  BABYLONIAN    MYTHOLOGY. 

Babylonian  mythology  was  local  in  origin ;  each 
of  the  gods  had  a  particular  city  which  was  the  seat 
of  his  worship),  and  it  is  probable  that  the  idea  of 
weaving  the  gods  into  a  system,  in  which  each  should 
have  his  part  to  play,  only  had  its  origin  at  a  later 
time.  The  antiquity  of  this  mythology  may  be  seen 
by  the  fact,  that  two  thousand  years  before  the 
Christian  era  it  was  already  completed,  and  its  deities 
definitely  connected  into  a  system  which  remained 
with  little  chano-e  doAvn  to  the  close  of  the  kin2:dom. 

It  is  probable  that  the  gods  were  in  early  times 
only  worshipped  at  their  original  cities  or  scats,  the 
various  cities  or  settlements  being  independent  of 
each  other;  but  it  was  natural  as  wars  arose,  and 
some  cities  gained  conquests  over  others,  and  kings 
gradually  united  the  country  into  monarchies,  that  the 
people  of  conquering  cities  should  claim  that  their 
gods  were  superior  to  those  of  the  cities  they  con- 
quered, and  thus  came  the  system  of  different  ranks  or 
grades  among  the  gods.  Again,  colonies  were  sent  out 
of  some  cities,  and  the  colonies,  as  they  considered 
themselves  sons  of  the  cities  they  started  from,  also 
considered  their  gods  to  be  sons  of  the  gods  of  the 
mother  cities.  Political  changes  in  early  times  led 
to  the  rise  and  fall  of  various  cities  and  consequently 
of  their  deities,  and  gave  rise  to  numerous  myths 
relating  to  the  different  personages  in  the  mythology. 
In  some  remote  age  there  appear  to  have  been  three 
great  cities  in  the  country,  Erech,  Eridu,  and  Nipur, 
and  their  divinities  Anu,  Hea,  and  Bel  were  considered 


BABYLONIAN   MYTEOLOOY.  53 

the  "great  gods"  of  the  country.  Subsequent 
changes  led  to  the  decline  of  these  cities,  but  their 
deities  still  retained  their  position  at  the  head  of  the 
Babylonian  system. 

These  three  leading  deities  formed  members  of  a 
circle  of  twelve  gods,  also  called  great.  These  gods 
and  their  titles  are  given  as : 

1.  Anu,  king  of  angels  and  spirits,  lord  of  the 
city  of  Erech. 

2.  Bel,  lord  of  the  world,  father  of  the  gods, 
creator,  lord  of  the  city  of  Mpur. 

3.  Hea,  maker  of  fate,  lord  of  the  deep,  god  of 
wisdom  and  knowledge,  lord  of  the  city  of 
Eridu. 

4.  Sin,  lord  of  crowns,  maker  of  brightness,  lord 
of  the  city  of  Ur. 

5.  Merodach,  just  prince  of  the  gods,  lord  of 
birth,  lord  of  the  city  of  Babylon. 

6.  Vul,  the  strong  god,  lord  of  canals  and  atmo- 
sphere, lord  of  the  city  of  Muru. 

7.  Shamas,  judge  of  heaven  and  earth,  du^ector 
of  all,  lord  of  the  cities  of  Larsa  and  Sippara. 

8.  Ninip,  warrior  of  the  warriors  of  the  gods, 
destroyer  of  wicked,  lord  of  the  city  of  Nipur. 

9.  N'ergal,  giant  king  of  war,  lord  of  the  city  of 
Cutha. 

10.  Xusku,  holder  of  the  golden  sceptre,  the  lofty 
god. 

11.  Belat,  wife  of  Bel,  mother  of  the  great  gods, 
lady  of  the  city  of  Xipur. 


54  BABYLONIAN    MYTHOLOGY. 

12.  Islitar,  eldest  of  heaven  and  earth,  raising  the 
face  of  warriors. 

Below  these  deities  there  was  a  large  body  of  gods 
forming  the  bulk  of  the  pantheon,  and  below  these 
were  arranged  the  Igoge,  or  angels  of  heaven,  and  the 
Anunnaki,  or  angels  of  earth.  Below  these  again 
came  various  classes  of  spirits  or  genii  called  Sedu, 
Yadukku,  Ekimu,  Galhi,  and  others;  some  of  these 
were  evil,  some  good. 

The  relationship  of  the  various  principal  gods  and 
their  names,  titles,  and  offices  will  be  seen  by  the 
following  remarks. 

At  the  head  of  the  Babylonian  mythology  stands  a 
deity  who  was  sometimes  identified  with  the  heavens, 
sometimes  considered  as  the  ruler  and  god  of  heaven. 
This  deity  is  named  Anu,  his  sign  is  the  simple  star, 
the  symbol  of  divinity,  and  at  other  times  the  Maltese 
cross.  Anu  represents  abstract  divinity,  and  he 
appears  as  an  original  principle,  perhaps  as  the  ori- 
ginal principle  of  nature.  He  represents  the  universe 
as  the  upper  and  lower  regions,  and  when  these  were 
divided  the  upper  region  or  heaven  was  called  Anu, 
while  the  lower  region  or  earth  was  called  Anatu ; 
Anatu  being  the  female  principle  or  wife  of  Anu. 
Anu  is  termed  the  old  god,  and  the  god  of  the  whole 
of  heaven  and  earth;  one  of  the  manifestations  of 
Anu  was  as  the  two  forms  Lahma  and  Lahama, 
which  probably  correspond  to  the  Greek  forms  Dache 
and  Dachus,  see  p.  50.  These  forms  are  said  to 
have  sprung  out  of  the  original  chaos,  and  they  are 


BABYLONIAN    MYTHOLOGY.  55 

followed  by  the  two  forms  sar  and  kisar  (the  Kissare 
and  Assorus  of  the  Greeks),  sar  means  the  upper 
hosts  or  expanse,  kisar  the  lower  hosts  or  expanse; 
these  are  also  forms  of  manifestations  of  Ann  and  his 
wife.  Ann  is  also  lord  of  the  old  city,  and  he  bears 
the  names  Alalu  and  Papsukul.  His  titles  generally 
indicate  height,  antiquity,  purity,  divinity,  and  he 
may  be  taken  as  the  general  type  of  divinity.  Anu 
was  originally  worshipped  at  the  city  of  Erech, 
which  was  called  the  city  of  Anu  and  Anatu,  and  the 
great  temple  there  was  called  the  "  house  of  Anu," 
or  the  "  house  of  heaven." 

Anatu,  the  wife  or  consort  of  Anu,  is  generally  only 
a  female  form  of  Anu,  but  is  sometimes  contrasted 
with  him ;  thus,  when  Anu  represents  height  and 
heaven,  Anatu  represents  depth  and  earth;  she  is 
also  lady  of  darkness,  the  mother  of  the  god  Hea,. 
the  mother  producing  heaven  and  earth,  the  female 
fish-god,  and  she  is  one  of  the  many  goddesses  called 
Istar  or  Venus. 

Anu  and  Anatu  have  a  numerous  famil}^;  among 
their  sons  are  numbered  Sar-ziri,  the  king  of  the 
desert,  Latarak,  Abgula,  Kusu,  and  the  air-god,  whose 
name  is  uncertain.  The  air-god  is  usually  called 
A^ul,  he  has  also  the  name  Pur,  and  the  epithets 
Ramman  or  Kimmon,  the  self-existent,  and  Uban  or 
Ben.  Vul  is  god  of  the  region  of  the  atmosphere,  or 
space  between  the  heaven  and  earth,  he  is  the 
god  of  rain,  of  storms  and  whirhvind,  of  thunder 
and  lightning,  of  floods  and  watercourses.     Yul  was 


56  BABYLONIAN    MYTHOLOGY, 

in  hiirli  esteem  in  Svria  and  Arabia,  where  lie  bore 
the  name  of  Daddi;  in  Armenia  he  was  called 
Teiseba.  Vul  is  always  considered  an  active  deity, 
and  was  extensively  worshipped. 

Another  important  god,  a  son  of  Ann,  was  the 
god  of  fire;  his  name  may  be  read  Bil-kan,  with  the 
possibility  of  some  connection  with  the  Biblical 
Tubal  Cain  and  the  classical  Vulcan.  The  fire-god 
takes  an  active  part  in  the  numerous  mythological 
tablets  and  legends,  and  he  is  considered  to  be  the 
most  potent  deity  in  relation  to  witchcraft  and  spells 
generally. 

The  most  important  of  the  daughters  of  Ann  was 
named  Istar;  she  was  in  some  respects  the  equivalent 
of  the  classical  Venus.  Her  worship  was  at  first  sub- 
ordinate to  that  of  Anu,  and  as  she  was  goddess  of 
love,  while  Anu  was  god  of  heaven,  it  is  probable 
that  the  first  intention  in  the  mythology  was  only  to 
represent  love  as  heaven-born ;  but  in  time  a  more 
sensual  view  prevailed,  and  the  worship  of  Istar 
became  one  of  the  darkest  features  in  Babylonian 
mythology.  As  the  worship  of  this  goddess  increased 
in  favour,  it  gradually  superseded  that  of  Anu,  until 
in  time  his  temple,  the  house  of  heaven,  came  to  be 
regarded  as  the  temple  of  Venus. 

The  planet  Venus,  as  the  evening  star,  was  iden- 
tified with  the  Ishtar  of  Erech,  while  the  morning 
star  was  Anunit,  goddess  of  Akkad. 

There  were  various  other  goddesses  called  Istar, 
among  which  may  be  noticed  Istar,  daughter  of  Sin 


BABYLONIAN    MYTHOLOGY.  57 

the  moon-god,  who  is  sometimes  confounded  with  the 
dauo-hter  of  Ann. 

A  companion  deity  with  Ann  is  Hea,  who  is  god  of 
the  sea  and  of  Hades,  in  fact  of  all  the  lower  regions. 
He  has  two  features,  and  corresponds  in  some  respects 
to  the  Saturn  or  Cronos  of  the  ancients,  in  others  to 
their  Poseidon  or  Neptune.  Hea  is  called  god  of  the 
lower  region,  he  is  lord  of  the  sea  or  abyss ;  he  is 
lord  of  generation  and  of  all  human  beings,  he  bears 
the  titles  lord  of  wisdom,  of  mines  and  treasures ;  he 
is  lord  of  gifts,  of  music,  of  fishermen  and  sailors, 
and  of  H-ades  or  hell.  It  has  been  supposed  that  the 
serpent  was  one  of  his  emblems,  and  that  he  was  the 
Cannes  of  Berosus;  these  things  do  not,  however, 
appear  in  the  inscriptions.  The  wife  of  Ilea  was 
Dav-kina,  the  Davke  of  Damascius,  who  is  the  goddess 
of  the  lower  regions,  the  consort  of  the  deep;  and 
their  principal  son  was  Maruduk  or  Merodach,  the 
Bel  of  later  times. 

Merodach,  god  of  Babylon,  appears  in  all  the 
earlier  inscriptions  as  the  agent  of  his  father  Hea;  he 
goes  about  in  the  world  collecting  information,  and 
receives  commissions  from  his  father  to  set  right  all 
that  appears  wrong.  Merodach  is  an  active  agent  in 
creation,  but  is  always  subordinate  to  his  father  Hea. 
In  later  times,  after  Babylon  had  been  made  the 
capital,  Merodach,  who  was  god  of  that  city,  was  raised 
to  the  head  of  the  Pantheon.  Merodach  or  Bel  was 
identified  with  the  classical  Jupiter,  but  the  name 
Bel,  "  the  lord,"  was  only  given  to  him  in  times  sub- 


58  BABYLONIAN    MYTHOLOGY. 

sequent  to  the  rise  of  Babylon.  The  wife  of  Mero- 
dach  was  Zirat-banit,  the  Succoth  Benoth  of  the 
Bible. 

Nebo,  the  god  of  knowledge  and  literature,  who 
was  worshipped  at  the  neighbouring  city  of  Borsippa, 
was  a  favourite  deity  in  later  times,  as  was  also  his 
consort  Tasmit.  Beside  ]\Ierodach  Hea  had  a  nume- 
rous progeny,  his  sons  being  principall}^  river  gods. 

A  third  great  god  was  united  with  Anu  and  Hea, 
his  names  were  Enu,  Elu,  Kaptu,  and  Bel;  he  was  the 
original  Bel  of  the  Babylonian  mythology,  and  was 
lord  of  the  surface  of  the  earth  and  the  affairs  of  men. 
Elu  was  lord  of  the  city  of  Nipur,  and  had  a  consort 
named  Belat  or  Beltis.  Elu,  or  Bel,  is  the  most 
active  of  the  gods  in  the  general  affairs  of  mankind, 
and  was  so  generally  worshipped  in  early  times  that 
he  came  to  be  regarded  as  the  national  divinity,  and 
his  temple  at  the  city  of  Xipur  was  regarded  as  the 
tjije  of  all  temples.  The  extensive  worship  of  Bel, 
and  the  high  honour  in  which  he  was  held,  seem  to 
point  to  a  time  when  his  city,  Nipur,  was  the  metro- 
polis of  the  countrj^ 

Belat,  or  Beltis,  the  wife  of  Bel,  is  a  famous  deitv 
celebrated  in  all  ages,  but  as  the  title  Belat  was 
only  "  lady,"  or  "  goddess,"  it  was  a  common  one 
for  many  goddesses,  and  the  notices  of  Beltis  pro- 
bably refer  to  several  different  personages.  The 
same  remark  may  be  applied  to  the  name  Istar,  or 
Ishtar,  meaning  "  goddess,"  which  is  ap^^lied  to  any 
female  divinity. 


BABYLONIAN    MYTUOLOGY.  59 

Eluhad,  like  the  other  gods,  a  numerous  family;  his 
eldest  son  was  the  moon-god  called  Ur,  Agu  or  Aku, 
Sin  and  Itu,  in  later  times  generally  termed  Sin. 
Sin  was  presiding  deity  of  the  city  of  Ur,  and  early 
assumed  an  important  place  in  the  mythology.  The 
moon-god  figures  prominently  in  some  early  legends, 
and  during  the  time  the  city  of  Ur  was  capital  of  the 
country  his  worship  became  very  extensive  and 
popular  in  the  whole  of  the  country. 

Ninip,  god  of  hunting  and  war,  was  another  cele- 
brated son  of  Elu  ;  he  was  worshipped  with  his  father 
at  Nipur.  Ninip  was  also  much  worshipped  in 
Assyria  as  well  as  Babylonia,  his  character  as  pre- 
siding genius  of  war  and  the  chase  making  him  a 
favourite  deity  with  the  warlike  kings  of  Assur. 

Sin  the  moon-god  had  a  son  Shamas,  or  Samas, 
the  sun-god,  and  a  daughter,  Istar  or  Venus. 
Shamas  is  an  active  deity  in  some  of  the  Izdubar 
legends  and  fables,  but  he  is  generally  subordinate 
to  Sin.  In  the  Babylonian  system  the  moon  takes 
precedence  of  the  sun,  and  the  Shamas  of  Larsa  was 
probably  considered  a  different  deity  to  Shamas  of 
Sippara. 

Among  the  other  deities  of  the  Babylonians  may 
be  counted  Xergal,  god  of  Cutha,  who,  like  Mnip, 
presided  over  hunting  and  war,  and  Anunit,  the 
deity  of  one  city  of  Sippara,  and  of  the  city  of 
Akkad. 

The  following  table  will  exhibit  the  relationship  of 
the  principal  deities;  but  it  must  be  noted  that  the 


60      BABYLONIAN    MYTHOLOGY. 

Assyrian  inscriptions  are  not  ahyays  consistent,  either 
as  to  the  sex  or  paternity  of  the  gods  : — 

Tavtu  Absu  (Apason  ?) 

(the  sea).  (the  deep). 

I , 1 

Mummu 
(chaos  ■?) 


I ■ ——^ 

Lahma  Lahama 

(force  or  growth).  | 

Kisar  (Kisare)  Sar  (Assare) 

(lower  expanse).  (upper  expanse). 

1 '-— r 1 '         i 

Anil  (Ouranus)  Anatii  Elu,  or  BeL  Beltis. 

(heaven).  (eai-th). 

Vul  Bil-kan  (Yulcan)        Ilea  (Saturn).        Istar  (Venus), 

(atmosphere).  (foe-god). 

Hea  (Saturn).  Davkhia  (Davke).  Ehi.  Behis. 

L.^ 1  I ' ^-1 

Merodach.  Zirat-hanit.  Sin.  Nhigal.  Ninip. 


Nebo.  Tasmit.  Samas.  Istar. 


CriAPTEE  V. 

BABYLONIAN  LEGEND  OF  THE  CREATION. 

Mutilated  condition  of  tablets. — List  of  subjects. — Description 
ofcbaos. — Tiamat. — Generation  of  gods. — Damascius. — Compari- 
son with  Genesis. — Three  great  gods. — Doubtful  fragments. — 
Fifth  tablet. — Stars. — Planets. — Moon. — Sun. — Abyss  or  chaos* 
— Creation  of  moon. — Creation  of  animals. — ]\Ian. — His  duties. — 
Dragon  of  sea. — Fall. — Curse  for  disobedience. — Discussion. — 
Sacred  tree. — Dragon  or  serpent.— War  with  Tiamat. — Weapons. 
— Mcrodach. — Destruction  of  Tiamat. — Mutilation  of  docu- 
ments.— Parallel  Biblical  account. — Age  of  story. 


HAVE  related  in  the  first  chapter  the 
history  of  the  discovery  of  this  legend ; 
the  tablets  composing  it  are  in  muti- 
lated condition,  and  too  fragmentary  to 
enable  a  single  tablet  to  be  completed,  or  to  give  more 
than  a  general  view  of  the  whole  subject.  The  story, 
so  far  as  I  can  judge  from  the  fragment,  agrees 
generally  Avith  the  account  of  the  Creation  in  the 
Book  of  Genesis,  but  shows  traces  of  having  originally 
included  very  much  more  matter.  The  fragments 
of  the  story  which  I  have  arranged  are  as  follows : — 


62  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

1.  Part  of  tlie  first  tablet,  giving  an  account  of  the 
Chaos  and  the  generation  of  the  gods. 

2.  Fragment  of  subsequent  tablet,  perhaps  the 
second  on  the  foundation  of  the  deep. 

3.  Fragment  of  tablet  placed  here  with  great 
doubt,  probably  referring  to  the  creation  of  land. 

4.  Part  of  the  fifth  tablet,  giving  the  creation  of  the 
heavenly  bodies. 

5.  Fragment  of  seventh?  tablet,  giving  the  creation 
of  land  animals. 

6.  Fragments  of  three  tablets  on  the  creation  and 
fall  of  man. 

7.  Fragments  of  tablets  relating  to  the  war 
between  the  gods  and  evil  spirits. 

These  fi-agments  indicate  that  the  series  included 
at  least  twelve  tablets,  the  writing  on  each  tablet 
being  in  one  column  on  the  front  and  back,  and 
probably  including  over  one  hundred  lines  of 
text. 

The  first  fragment  in  the  story  is  the  upper  part 
of  the  first  tablet,  giving  the  description  of  the  void 
or  chaos,  and  part  of  the  generation  of  the  gods. 
The  translation  is : 

1.  When  above,  were  not  raised  the  heavens: 

2.  and  below  on  the  earth  a  plant  had  not  grown 
up; 

3.  the  abyss  also  had  not  broken  open  their 
boundaries : 

4.  The  chaos  (or  water)  Tiamat  (the  sea)  was  the 
producing-mother  of  the  whole  of  them. 


CQ 


i    § 


GF    THE    CREATION.  63 

5.  Those  waters  at  the  beginning  were  ordained  ; 
but 

6.  a  tree  had  not  grown,  a  flower  had  not  unfolded. 

7.  When  the  gods  had  not  sprung  up,  any  one  of 
them ; 

8.  a  plant  had  not  grown,  and  order  did  not  exist ; 

9.  Were  made  also  the  great  gods, 

10.  the  gods  Lahmu  and  Lahamu  they  caused  to 
come 

11.  and  they  grew 

12.  the  gods  Sar  and  Kisar  were  made  .... 

13.  A  course  of  days,  and  a  long  time  passed  .  .  . 

14.  the  god  Anu 

15.  the  gods  Sar  and 

16 

On  the  reverse  of  this  tablet  there  are  only  frag- 
ments of  the  eight  lines  of  colophon,  but  the  restora- 
tion of  the  passage  is  easy,  it  reads  : — 

1.  First  tablet  of  "  When  above"  (name- of  Creation 
series). 

2.  Palace  of  Assurbanipal  king  of  nations,  king  of 
Assyria, 

3.  to  whom  Xebo  and  Tasmit  attentive  ears  have 
given : 

4.  he  sought  with  dihgent  eyes  the  wisdom  of  the 
inscribed  tablets, 

5.  which  among  the  kings  who  went  before  me, 

6.  none  those  writings  had  sought. 

7.  The  wisdom  of  Nebo,  the  impressions  ?  of  the  god 
yinstructor?  all  dehghtful, 


64  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

8.  on  tablets  I  wrote,  I  studied,  I  observed,  and 

9.  for  the  inspection  of  my  people  within  my 
palace  I  placed 

This  colophon  will  serve  to  show  the  value  attached 
to  the  documents,  and  the  date  of  the  present  copies. 

The  fragment  of  the  obverse,  broken  as  it  is,  is 
precious  as  giving  the  description  of  the  chaos  or 
desolate  void  before  the  Creation  of  the  world,  and 
the  first  movement  of  creation.  This  corresponds 
to  the  first  two  verses  of  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis. 

1.  "In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heaven  and 
the  earth. 

2.  And  the  earth  was  without  form  and  void ;  and 
darkness  was  upon  the  face  of  the  deep.  And  the 
spirit  of  God  moved  upon  the  face  of  the  waters." 

On  comparing  the  fragment  of  the  first  tabbt  of  the 
Creation  with  the  extract  from  Damascius,  we  do  not 
find  any  statement  as  to  there  being  two  principles 
at  first  called  Tauthe  and  Apason,  and  these  produc- 
ing Moymis,  but  in  the  Creation  tablet  the  first  exist- 
ence is  called  Mummu  Tiamatu,  a  name  meaning  the 
"sea- water"  or  "sea  chaos."  The  name  Mummu 
Tiamatu  combines  the  two  names  Moymis  and  Tauthe 
of  Damascius.  Tiamatu  appears  also  as  Tisallat  and 
agrees  with  the  Thalatth  of  Berosus,  which  we  are 
expressly  told  was  the  sea.  It  is  evident  that,  accord- 
ing to  the  notion  of  the  Babylonians,  the  sea  was 
the  origin  of  all  things,  and  this  also  agrees  with 
the  statement  of  Genesis,  i.  2.  where  the  chaotic 
waters  are  called  oinn,  "  the  deep,"  the  same  word  as 


OF    THE    GBBATIOHr.  65 

the  Tiamat  of  the  Creation  text  and  the  Tauthe  of 
Damascius. 

The  Assyrian  word  Mummu  is  probably  connected 
with  the  Hebrew  naino,  confusion,  and  one  of  its 
equivalents  is  Umun^  equal  to  the  HebreAv  pon 
noise  or  tumult.  Beside  the  name  of  the  chaotic 
deep  called  mnn  in  Genesis,  which  is,  as  I  have  said, 
evidently  the  Tiamat  of  the  Creation  text,  we  have 
in  Genesis  the  word  inn,  waste,  desolate,  or  formless, 
applied  to  this  chaos.  This  appears  to  be  the  tehuta 
of  the  Assyrians — a  name  of  the  sea-water  ("  History 
of  Assurbanipal,"  p.  59);  this  word  is  closely  con- 
nected with  the  word  tiamat  or  tamtu,  the  sea.  The 
correspondence  between  the  inscription  and  Genesis 
is  here  complete,  both  stating  that  a  watery  chaos 
preceded  the  creation,  and  formed,  in  fact,  the  origin 
and  groundwork  of  the  universe.  AVe  have  here  not 
only  ar  agreement  in  sense,  but,  what  is  rai'er,  the 
same  word  used  in  both  narratives  as  the  name  of 
this  chaos,  and  given  also  in  the  account  of  Damascius. 
Berosus  has  certainly  the  slightly  different  form 
Thalatth,  with  the  same  sense  however,  and  it  might 
be  suspected  that  this  word  was  a  corruption  of 
Tiamat,  but  the  Babylonian  word  is  read  Tiamtu, 
Tiamat,  and  Tisallat,  which  last  is  more  probably  the 
orio'in  of  the  word  Thalatth  of  Berosus. 

Next  we  have  in  the  inscription  the  creation  of 
the  gods  Lahma  or  Lahmu,  and  Lahama  or  Lahamu ; 
these  are  male  and  female  personifications  of  motion 
and  production,  and  correspond  to  the   Dache  and 

E 


66  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

Daclins  of  Damascius,  and  the  moving.  ni-i,  wind, 
or  spirit  of  Genesis.  The  next  stage  in  the  inscrip- 
tion gives  the  production  of  Sar  or  Ilsar,  and  Kisar, 
representing  the  upper  expanse  and  the  lower  ex- 
panse, and  corresponding  to  the  Assorus  and  Kissare 
of  Damascius.  The  resembLance  in  these  names  is 
probably  closer  than  here  represented,  for  Sar  or 
Ilsar  is  generally  read  Assur  as  a  deity  in  later  times, 
being  an  ordinary  sign  for  the  supreme  god  of  the 
Assyrians. 

Here  the  cuneiform  text  becomes  so  mutilated 
that  little  can  be  made  out  from  it,  but  it  appears 
from  the  fragment  of  line  14  that  the  next  step 
was  (as  in  Damascius)  the  generation  of  the  three 
great  gods,  Anu,  Elu,  and  Hea,  the  Anus,  Illinus, 
and  Aus  of  that  writar.  Anu  represents  the  heaven, 
Elu  the  earth,  and  Hea  the  sea,  in  this  new  form  of 
the  universe. 

It  is  probable  that  the  inscription  went  on  to 
relate  the  generation  of  the  other  gods,  and  then 
passed  to  the  successive  acts  of  creation  by  which 
the  world  was  fashioned. 

The  successive  forms  Lahma  and  Lahama,  Sar  and 
Kisar,  are  represented  in  some  of  the  god  Hsts  as 
names  or  manifestations  of  Anu  and  Anatu.  In  each 
case  there  appears  to  be  a  male  and  female  principle, 
which  principles  combine  in  the  formation  of  the 
universe. 

The  resemblance  between  the  extract  from  Da- 
mascius  and  the  account  in  the  Creation  tablet  as  to 


V.^.v 


OF    THE    CREATION'.  67 

these  snccessive  stages  or  forms  in  the  Creation,  is 
striking,  and  leaves  no  doubt  that  there  was  a  con- 
nection between  the  two. 

The  three  next  tablets  in  the  Creation  series  are 
absent,  there  being  only  two  doubtful  fragments  of  this 
part  of  the  story.  Judging  from  the  analogy  of  the 
Book  of  Genesis,  we  may  conjecture  that  this  part  of 
the  narrative  contained  the  description  of  the  creation 
of  light,  of  the  atmosphere  or  firmament,  of  the  dry 
land,  and  of  plants.  One  fragment  to  which  I  have 
alluded  as  probably  belonging  to  this  space  is  a  small 
portion  of  the  top  of  a  tablet  referring  to  the  fixing  of 
the  dry  land ;  but  it  may  belong  to  a  later  part  of  the 
story,  for  it  is  part  of  a  speech  to  one  of  the  gods. 
This  fragment  is — 

1.  When  the  foundations  of  the  ground  of  rock 
[thou  didst  make] 

2.  the  foundation  of  the  ground  thou  didst  call    .  . 

3.  thou  didst  beautify  the  heaven 

4.  to  the  face  of  the  heaven 

5.  thou  didst  give 

6 

There  is  a  second  more  doubtful  fragment  which 
appears  to  belong  to  this  space,  and,  like  the  last, 
seems  to  relate  part  of  the  creation  of  the  dry  land. 
I  ffive  it  here  under  reserve — 

o 

1.  The  god  Sar  .  .  .  pan  .... 

2.  When  to  the  god  .... 

3.  Certainly  I  will  cover?  .  .  . 

4.  from  the  day  that  thou  .... 


68  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

5.  angry  tliou  didst  speak  .... 

6.  Sar  (or  Assur)  his  mouth  opened  and  spake, 
to  the  god  .... 

7.  Above  the  sea  which  is  the  seat  of  ...  . 

8.  in   front   of  the  esara    (firmament?)   which   I 
have  made  .... 

9.  below  the  place  I  strengthen  it  ...  . 

10.  Let  there  be  made  also  e-lu  (earth?)  for  the 
dwelling  of  [man  ?] 

11.  Within  it  his  city  may  he  build  and  .... 

12.  When  from  the  sea  he  raised  .... 

13.  the  place  ....  lifted  up  ...  . 

14.  above  ....  heaven.  .... 

15.  the  place  ....  hfted  up  ...  . 

16 Pal-bi-ki    the    temples    of   the    great 

gods  .... 

17 his  father  and  his  ....  of  him 

18.  the  god  ....  thee  and  over  all  which  thy 
hand  has  made 

19 thee,  having,  over  the  earth  which  thy 

hand  has  made 

20 having,  Pal-bi-ki  which  thou  hast  called 

its  name 

21 made?  my  hand  for  ever 

22 may  they  carry 

23.  the  place  ....  anyone  the  work  which  .  .  . 

24.  he  rejoiced  ....  to  after  .  .  ,  • 

25.  the  gods 

26.  which  in 

27.  he  opened  .  .  .  • 


OF   THE    CREATION,  69 

This  fragment  is  both  mutilated  and  obscure ;  in 
the  eighth  line  I  have  translated  firmament  with  a 
query,  the  sound  and  meaning  of  the  word  being 
doubtful;  and  in  line  10,  I  translate  earth  for  a  com- 
bination of  two  characters  more  obscure  still,  my 
translation  being  a  conjecture  grounded  on  some 
meanings  of  the  individual  monograms.  Pal-bi-ki 
are  the  characters  of  one  name  of  the  city  of  Assur ; 
but  I  do  not  understand  the  introduction  of  this 
name  here. 

The  next  recognizable  portion  of  the  Creation 
legends  is  the  upper  part  of  the  fifth  tablet,  which 
gives  the  creation  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  and  runs 
parallel  to  the  account  of  the  fourth  day  of  creation 
in  Genesis. 

This  tablet  opens  as  follows : — 

Fifth  Tablet  of  Creation  Legend. 
Obverse. 

1.  It  was  delightful,  all  that  was  fixed  by  the  great 
gods. 

2.  Stars,  their  appearance  [in  figures]  of  animals 
he  arranged. 

3.  To  fix  the  year  through  the  observation  of  their 
constellations, 

4.  twelve  months  (or  signs)  of  stars  in  three  rows 
he  arranged, 

5.  from  the  day  when  the  year  commences  unto 
the  close. 


70  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

6.  He  marked  the  positions  of  the  wandering  stars 
(planets)  to  shine  in  their  courses, 

7.  that  they  may  not    do    injury,   and  may  not 
trouble  any  one, 

8.  the  positions  of  the  gods  Bel  and  Hea  he  fixed 
with  him. 

9.  And  he  opened  the  great  gates  in  the  darkness 
shrouded 

10.  the  fastenings  were  strong  on  the  left  and  right. 

11.  In   its  mass    {i.e.  the  lower  chaos)    he  made 
a  boiling, 

12.  the  god  Uru  (the  moon)  he  caused  to  rise  out, 
the  night  he  overshadowed, 

13.  to  fix  it  also  for  the  light  of  the  night,  until 
the  shining  of  the  day, 

14.  That  the  month  might  not  be  broken,  and  in 
its  amount  be  regular. 

15.  At  the  beginning  of  the  month,  at  the  rising  of 
the  night, 

16.  his  horns  are  breaking  through  to  shine  on  the 
heaven. 

17.  On  the  seventh  day  to  a  circle  he  begins  to 
swell, 

18.  and  stretches  towards  the  dawn  further. 

19.  When  the  god  Shamas  (the  sun)  in  the  horizon 
of  heaven,  in  the  east, 

20 formed  beautifully  and  .... 

21 to  the  orbit  Shamas  was  perfected 

22 the  dawn  Shamas  should  change 

23 going  on  its  path 


OF    THE    GTx^EATION.  71 

24 giving  judgment 

25 to  tame 

9G a,  second  time 

27 

Reverse. 

1 

2 he  fixed 

3.  .  .  .  of  the  gods  on  his  hearing. 

4.  Fifth  tablet  of  "When  above"  (Creation 
series). 

5.  Country  of  Assurbanipal  king  of  nations  king 
of  Assyria. 

This  fine  fragment  is  a  typical  specimen  of  the 
style  of  this  series,  and  shows  a  marked  stage  in  the 
Creation,  the  appointment  of  the  heavenly  orbs.  It 
parallels  the  fourth  day  of  Creation  in  the  first  chapter 
of  Genesis,  where  we  read :  "  And  God  said,  Let  there 
be  lights  in  the  firmament  of  the  heaven  to  divide  the 
day  from  the  night ;  and  let  them  be  for  signs,  and 
for  seasons,  and  for  days,  and  years : 

"15.  And  let  them  be  for  lights  in  the  firmament 
of  the  heaven  to  give  light  upon  the  earth :  and  it 
was  so. 

"-IQ,.  And  God  made  two  great  lights ;  the  greater 
light  to  rule  the  day,  and  the  lesser  light  to  rule  the 
nio-ht;  he  made  the  stars  also. 

"17.  And  God  set  them  in  the  firmament  of  the 
heaven  to  give  light  upon  the  earth, 

"  18.  And  to  rule  over  the  day  and  over  the  night, 


72  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

and  to  divide  the  light  from  the  darkness :  and  God 
saw  that  it  was  good. 

"19,  And  the  evening  and  the  morning  were  the 
fourth  day." 

The  fragment  of  the  first  tablet  of  the  Creation 
series  showed  that  that  was  rather  introductory,  and 
dealt  with  the  generation  of  the  gods  more  than  the 
creation  of  the  universe,  and  the  fact  that  the  fifth 
tablet  contains  the  Creation  given  in  Genesis,  under 
the  fourth  day,  while  a  subsequent  tablet,  probably 
the  seventh,  gives  the  creation  of  the  animals  wMch, 
according  to  Genesis,  took  place  on  the  sixth  day, 
leads  to  the  inference  that  the  events  of  each  of  the 
days  of  Genesis  were  recorded  on  a  separate  tablet, 
and  that  the  numbers  of  the  tablets  generally  followed 
in  the  same  order  as  the  days  of  Creation  in  Genesis, 
thus : 

Genesis,  Chap.  I. 


V. 

1  &    2  agree  with  Tablet  1. 

V. 

3  to    5     1st  day 

probably  with  tablet  2. 

V. 

6  to    8   2nd  day 

probably  with  tablet  3. 

Y. 

9  to  1 3    3rd  day 

probably  with  tablet  4. 

V. 

14  to  19    4th  day 

agree  with  tablet  5. 

v. 

20  to  23    5th  day 

probably  with  tablet  6. 

V. 

24  &  25    6th  day 

probably  with  tablet  7. 

V. 

26  and  following. 

6th  and  7th  day,  probably 

with  tablet  8. 

The  tablet  which  I  think  to  be  the  eighth  appears 
to  give  the  Creation  and  Fall  of  Man,  and  is  followed 
by  several  other  tablets  giving  apparently  the  war 


OF    THE    GBEATION,  73 

between  the  gods  and  the  powers  of  evil,  but  all  of 
these  are  very  mutilated,  and  no  number  can  be 
positively  proved  beyond  the  fifth  tablet.  There  is, 
however,  fair  reason  to  suppose  that  there  was  a  close 
ao-reement  in  subjects  and  order  between  the  text  of 
the  Chaldean  legend  and  Genesis,  while  there  does 
not  appear  to  be  anything  like  the  same  agreement 
between  these  inscriptions  and  the  accounts  trans- 
mitted to  us  through  Berosus  (see  pp.  37-50). 

The  fifth  tablet  commences  with  the  statement 
that  the  previous  creations  were  "delightful,"  or 
satisfactory,  agreeing  with  the  oft-repeated  state- 
ment of  Genesis,  after  each  act  of  creative  power,  that 
"  God  saw  that  it  was  good."  The  only  difference 
here  is  one  of  detail.  It  appears  that  the  Chaldean 
record  contains  the  review  and  expression  of  satisfac- 
tion at  the  head  of  each  tablet,  while  the  Hebrew  has 
it  at  the  close  of  each  act. 

We  then  come  to  tl^e  creation  of  the  heavenly  orbs, 
which  are  described  in  the  inscription  as  arranged 
like  animals,  while  the  Bible  says  they  were  set  as 
"  lights  in  the  firmament  of  heaven,"  and  just  as  the 
book  of  Genesis  says  they  were  set  for  signs  and 
seasons,  for  days  and  years,  so  the  inscription  de- 
scribes that  the  stars  were  set  in  courses  to  point  out 
the  year.  The  twelve  constellations  or  signs  of  the 
zodiac,  and  two  other  bands  of  constellations  are 
mentioned,  just  as  two  sets  of  twelve  stars  each  are 
mentioned  by  the  Greeks,  one  north  and  one  south 
of  the  zodiac.     I  have  translated  one  of  these  names 


74  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

nihh\  "  wandering  stars"  or  "  planets,"  but  this  is  not 
the  usual  word  for  planet,  and  there  is  a  star  called 
Nibir  near  the  place  where  the  sun  crossed  the 
boundary  between  the  old  and  new  years,  and  this 
star  was  one  of  twelve  supposed  to  be  favourable  to 
Babylonia.  It  is  evident,  from  the  opening  of  the  in- 
scription on  the  first  tablet  of  the  Chaldean  astrology 
and  astronomy,  that  the  functions  of  the  stars  were 
according  to  the  Babylonians  to  act  not  only  as  regu- 
lators of  the  seasons  and  the  year,  but  to  be  also  used 
as  signs,  as  in  Genesis  i.  14,  for  in  those  ages  it  was 
generally  believed  that  the  heavenly  bodies  gave,  by 
their  appearance  and  positions,  signs  of  events  which 
were  coming  on  the  earth. 

The  passage  given  in  the  eighth  line  of  the  inscrip- 
tion, to  the  effect  that  the  God  who  created  the  stars 
fixed  places  or  habitations  for  Bel  and  Hea  with  him- 
self in  the  heavens,  points  to  the  fact  that  Ann,  god 
of  the  heavens,  was  considered  to  be  the  creator  of 
the  heavenly  hosts ;  for  it  is  he  who  shares  with  Bel 
and  Hea  the  divisions  of  the  face  of  the  sky. 

The  ninth  line  of  the  tablet  opens  a  curious  view 
as  to  the  philosophical  beliefs  of  the  early  Babylo- 
nians. They  evidently  considered  that  the  world 
was  drawn  together  out  of  the  waters,  and  rested  or 
reposed  upon  a  vast  abyss  of  chaotic  ocean  which 
filled  the  space  below  the  world.  This  dark  infernal 
lake  was  shut  in  by  gigantic  gates  and  strong  fasten- 
ings, which  prevented  the  floods  from  overwhelming 
the  world.     When  the  deity  decided  to  create  the 


OF    THE    CBEATION.  75 

moon,  lie  is  represented  as  drawing  aside  the  gates  of 
tliis  abyss,  and  creating  a  wliiiding  motion  like  boil- 
ing in  the  dark  ocean  below;  then,  at  his  bidding, 
from  this  turmoil,  arose  the  moon  like  a  giant  bubble, 
and,  passing  through  the  open  gates,  mounted  on  its 
destined  way  across  the  vaults  of  heaven. 

The  Babylonian  account  continues  with  the  regu- 
lation of  the  motions  of  the  moon  to  overshadow  the 
night,  to  regulate  and  give  light  until  the  dawn  of 
day.  The  phases  of  the  moon  are  described :  its  com- 
mencing as  a  thin  crescent  at  the  evening  on  the  first 
day  of  the  month,  and  its  gradually  increasing  and 
travelling  further  into  the  night.  After  the  moon 
the  creation  of  the  sun  is  recorded,  its  beauty  and 
perfection  are  extolled,  and  the  regularity  of  its  Orbit, 
which  led  to  its  being  considered  the  type  of  a  judge, 
and  the  regulator  of  the  world. 

The  Babylonian  account  of  the  Creation  gives  the 
creation  of  the  moon  before  that  of  the  sun,  in  reverse 
order  to  that  in  Genesis,  and  evidently  the  Babylo- 
nians considered  the  moon  the  prmcipal  body,  while 
the  Book  of  Genesis  makes  the  sun  the  greater  light. 
Here  it  is  evident  that  Genesis  is  truer  to  nature 
than  the  Chaldean  text. 

The  details  of  the  creation  of  the  planets  and 
stars,  which  would  have  been  very  important  to  us, 
are  unfortunately  lost,  no  further  fragment  of  this 
tablet  having  been  recovered. 

The  colophon  at  the  close  of  tablet  V.  gives  us, 
however,  part  of  the  first  line  of  the  sixth  tablet,  but 


76  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

not  enough  to  determine  its  subject.  It  is  probable 
that  this  dealt  with  the  creation  of  creatures  of  the 
water  and  fowls  of  the  air,  and  that  these  were  the 
creation  of  Bel,  the  companion  deity  to  Anu. 

The  next  tablet,  the  seventh  in  the  series,  is  pro- 
bably represented  by  a  curious  fragment,  which  I 
first  found  in  one  of  the  trenches  at  Kouyunjik,  and 
recognized  at  once  as  a  part  of  the  description  of  the 
Creation. 

This  fragment  is  like  some  of  the  others,  the  upper 
portion  of  a  tablet  much  broken,  and  only  valuable 
Trom  its  generally  clear  meaning.  The  translation  of 
this  fragment  is : 

1.  When  the  gods  in  their  assembly  had  created 


2.  were  delightful  the  strong  monsters 

3.  they  caused  to  be  living  creatures 

4.  cattle  of  the  field,  beasts  of  the  field,  and  creep- 
ing things  of  the  field 

5.  they  fixed  for  the  living  creatures 

6 cattle  and  creeping  things  of  the  city 

they  fixed 

7 the  assembly  of  the  creeping  things 

the  whole  which  were  created 

8 which  in  the  assembly  of  my  family 


9 and  the  god  Nin-si-ku  (the  lord  of 

noble  face)  caused  to  be  two 

10 the  assembly  of  the  creeping  things 

he  caused  to  go 


OF   TEE    CEEATION.  77 


11 flesh  beautiful? 

12 pure  presence  . 

13 pure  presence  . 


14 pure  presence  in  the  assembly  .  .  .  . 

15 

This  tablet  corresponds  to  the  sixth  day  of  Creation 
(Genesis,  i.  24-25) :  "And  God  said,  Let  the  earth  bring 
forth  the  living  creature  after  his  kind,  cattle,  and 
creeping  thing,  and  beast  of  the  earth  after  his  kind : 
and  it  was  so. 

"  And  God  made  the  beast  of  the  earth  after  his 
kind,  and  cattle  after  their  kind,  and  everything  that 
creepeth  upon  the  earth  after  his  kind :  and  God  saw 
that  it  was  good." 

The  Assyrian  tablet  commences  with  a  statement 
of  the  satisfaction  a  former  creation,  apparently  that 
of  the  monsters  or  whales,  had  given ;  here  referring 
to  Genesis  i.  23.  It  then  goes  on  to  relate  the  creating 
of  living  animals  on  land,  three  kinds  being  distin- 
guished, exactly  agreeing  with  the  Genesis  account, 
and  then  we  have  in  the  ninth  line  a  curious  but 
broken  account  of  Nin-si-ku  (one  of  the  names  of 
Hea),  creating  two  beings  to  be  with  the  animals,  the 
wording  of  the  next  fragmentary  lines  leading  to  the 
suspicion  that  this  was  the  opening  of  the  account  of 
the  creation  of  man.  This,  however,  is  only  a  suspi- 
cion, for  the  lines  are  so  mutilated  and  obscure  that 
nothing  can  be  faudy  proved  from  them.  It  is 
curious  here,  however,  to  notice  a  tablet  which  refers 


78  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

to  the  creation  of  man.  In  this  tablet,  K  63,  the  cre- 
ation of  the  human  race  is  given  to  Hea,  and  all  the 
references  in  other  inscriptions  make  this  his  work. 

In  considering  the  next  fragments,  those  which 
really  relate  to  man,  there  is  great  difficulty;  for,  in 
the  first  fragment  to  be  noticed,  on  one  side  the  mu- 
tilation of  the  tablet  renders  the  sense  totally  un- 
certain ;  in  the  space  lost  there  may  be  a  string  of 
negatives  which  would  entirely  reverse  the  meaning. 
It  is  probable  that  the  other  side  of  the  fragment 
is  a  discourse  to  the  first  woman  on  her  duties, 
I  think  it  to  be  the  reverse  of  the  tablet  which,  so 
far  as  it  can  be  translated,  appears  to  give  the  speech 
of  the  deity  to  the  newly  created  pair  (man  and 
woman)  instructing  them  in  their  duties. 

K  3364  obverse. 
(Many  lines  lost.) 

1.  evil  .... 

2.  which  is  eaten  by  the  stomach  .... 

3.  in  growing  .... 

4.  consumed  .... 

5.  extended,  heavy,  .... 

6.  firmly  thou  shalt  speak  .... 

7.  and  the  support  of  mankind  ....  thee 

8.  Every  day  thy  god  thou  shalt  approach  (or 
invoke) 

9.  sacrifice,  prayer  of  the  mouth  and  instruments 


10.  to  thy  god  in  reverence  thou  shalt  carry. 


OF    THE    OBEATION.  79 

11.  Whatever  shall  be  suitable  for  cli\inity, 

12.  supplication,  humility,  and  bowing  of  the  face, 

13.  fire?  thou  shalt  give  to  him,  and  thou  shalt 
bring  tribute, 

14.  and  in  the  fear  also  of  god  thou  shalt  be  holy. 

15.  In  thy  knowledge  and  afterwards  in  the  tablets 
(writing) 

IG.  worship  and  goodness         shall  be  raised? 

17.  Sacrifice  saving  .... 

18.  and  worship  .... 

19.  the  fear  of  god  thou  shalt  not  leave  .... 

20.  the  fear  of  the  angels  thou  shalt  live  in  ...  . 

21.  "With  friend  and  enemy?    speech  thou    shalt 
make?  .... 

22.  under?  speech  thou  shalt  make  good  .  .  .  . 

23.  AYhen  thou  shalt  speak  also  he  will  give  .... 

24.  T\''hen  thou  shalt  trust  also  thou  .... 

25.  to  enemy?  also  ,  .   .  . 

26 thou  shalt  trust  a  friend  .... 

27 thy  knowledge  also 

Reverse. 
(Many  lines  lost.) 

1.  Beautiful  place  also  ....  divide  .... 

2.  in  beauty  and  ....  thy  hand  .... 

3.  and  thou  to  the  presence  ....  thou  shalt  fix  ... . 

4.  and  not  thy  sentence  ....  thee  to  the  end? 

5.  in  the    presence   of    beauty  and  ....  thou 
shalt  speak 

6.  of  thy  beauty  and  .  .  .  « 


^UlflVB 


80  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

7.  beautiful  and  ....  to  give  drink? 

8.  circle  I  fill?  ....  his  enemies 

9.  his  rising?  he  seeks  ....  the  man  .  .  .  , 

10.  Avith  the  lord  of  thy  beauty  thou  shalt  be 
faithful, 

11.  to  do  evil  thou  shalt  not  approach  him, 

12.  at  thy  illness  ....  to  him 

13.  at  thy  distress  .... 

The  obverse  of  this  tablet  is  a  fragment  of  the 
address  from  the  deity  to  the  newly  created  man  on 
his  duties  to  his  god,  and  it  is  curious  that  while,  in 
other  parts  of  the  story,  various  gods  are  mentioned 
by  name,  here  only  one  god  is  mentioned,  and  simply 
as  the  "God."  The  fragments  of  this  tablet  might 
belong  to  the  purest  system  of  rehgion ;  but  it  would 
in  this  case  be  wrong  to  ground  an  argument  on  a 
single  fragment. 

The  reverse  of  the  tablet  appears,  so  far  as  the 
sense  can  be  ascertained,  to  be  addressed  to  the 
woman,  the  companion  of  the  man,  informing  her  of 
her  duties  towards  her  partner. 

The  next  fragment  is  a  small  one ;  it  is  the  lower 
corner  of  a  tablet  with  the  ends  of  a  few  lines.  It 
may  possibly  belong  to  the  tablet  of  the  Fall  to  be 
mentioned  later. 

This  fragment  is  of  importance,  small  as  it  is, 
because  it  mentions  a  speech  of  Hea  to  man,  and 
alludes  to  the  Karkartiamat,  or  dragon  of  the  sea,  in 
connection  with  a  revolt  against  the  deity.  The 
fragment  is,  however,  too  mutilated  to  give  more 
than  a  general  idea  of  its  contents. 


OF    TEE    GBEATION.  81 

Obverse. 

1 scat  her 

2 all  the  lords 

3 his  might 

4 the  gods,  lord  lofty? 

5 kingdom  exalted 

6 in  multitudes  increase 

Eeverse. 

1 Hea  called  to  his  man 

2.  .  .   .  .  height  of  his  greatness 

'S the  rule  of  any  god 

4 Sartulku  knew  it 

5 his  noble  .... 

C his  fear?  Sartulku 

7 his  might 

8 to  them,  the  dragon  of  the  sea 

9 against  thy  father  fight 

Connected  with  this  fragment  is  the  account  of 
the  curse  after  the  Fall,  on  the  remarkable  fragment 
which  I  brought  over  from  my  first  expedition  to 
Assyria. 

This  forn-ts  about  half  a  tablet,  being  part  of  the 
obverse  and  reverse,  both  in  fair  preservation;  and 
so  far  as  they  go,  fairly  perfect,  but  containing  at 
present  many  obscurities  in  the  speeches  of  the  gods. 
Before  the  commencement  of  lines  1,  5,  11,  19,  27, 
and  29  on  the  obverse,  there  are  glosses  stating  that 
the  divine  titles  commencing  these  lines  all  apply  to 
the  same    deity.      These  explanatory  glosses  show 

G 


82  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

that  even  in  the  Assyrian  time  there  were  difficulties 
in  the  narrative. 

Obverse. 
•1.  The  god  Zi 

2.  which  he  had  fixed  ..... 

3.  their  account 

4.  may  not  fail  in  preparing  ?  .  r  ,  .  . 

5.  The  god   Ziku    (Noble    life)    quickly  called; 
Director  of  purity, 

6.  good  kinsman,  master  of  perception  and  nght, 

7.  causer  to  be  fruitful  and  abundant,  estabiishtr 
of  fertility, 

8.  another  to  us  has  come  up,  and  greatly  increased, 

9.  in  thy  powerful  advance  spread  over  him  good, 

10.  may  he  speak,  may  he  glorify,   may  he  exalt 
his  majesty. 

11.  The  god   Mir-ku    (noble   crown)  in    concern, 
raised  a  protection? 

12.  lord  of  noble  lips,  saviour  from  death 

13.  of  the  gods  imprisoned,   the  accomplisher  of 
restoration, 

14.  his  pleasure  he  established  he  fixed  upon  the 
gods  his  enemies, 

15.  to  fear  them  he  made  man, 
IG.  the  breath  of  life  was  in  him. 

17.  May  he  be  established,  and  may  his  will  not  fail, 

18.  in  the  mouth  of  the  dark  races  which  his  hand 
has  made. 

19.  The  god  of  noble  lips  with  his  five  fingers  sin 
may  he  cut  off; 


OF    THE    CREATION.  83 

20.  who  with  his  noble  charms  removes  the  evil 
curse. 

21.  The  god  Libzu  wise  among    the  gods,   who 
had  chosen  his  possession, 

22.  the  doing  of  evil  shall  not  come  out  of  him, 

23.  established  in  the  company  of  the  gods,  he  re- 
joices their  heart. 

24.  Subduer  of  the  unbeliever 

25.  director  of  right 

26.  of  corruption  and 

27.  The  god  Nissi      .... 

28.  keeper  of  watch 

29.  The  god  Suhhab,  swiftly 

30.  the  pourer  out  to  them 

31.  in 

32.  like  .  .  . 
33 

Reverse. 

1 

2 the  star  ..... 

3.  may  he  take  the  tail  and  head 

4.  because  the  dragon  Tiamat  had 

5.  his  punishment  the  planets  possessing  .... 

6.  by  the  stars  of  heaven  themselves  may  they  .  . 

7.  like  a  sheep  may  the  gods  tremble  all  of  them 

8.  may  he  bind  Tiamat  her  prisons  may  he  shut 
up  and  surround. 

9.  Afterwards  the  people  of  remote  ages 

10.  may  she  remove,  not  destroy  ...  for  ever, 


84  BABYLONIAN-    LEGEND 

11.  to  the  place  he  created,  he  made  strong. 

12.  Lord  of  the  earth  his  name    called  out,  the 
father  Elu 

13.  in  the  ranks  of  the  angels  pronounced  their 
curse. 

14.  The  god  Hea  heard  and  his  liver  was  angry, 

15.  because  his  man  had  corrupted  his  purity. 

16.  He  like  me  also  Hea  may  he  punish  him, 

17.  the  course  of  my  issue  all  of  them  may  he 
remove,  and 

18.  all  my  seed  may  he  destroy. 

19.  In  the  language  of  the  fifty  great  gods 

20.  by  his  fifty  names  he  called,  and  turned  away  in 
anger  from  him : 

21.  May  he  be  conquered,  and  at  once  cut  ofi". 

22.  Wisdom    and  knowledge  hostilely  may  they 
injure  him. 

23.  May  they  put  at  enmity  also  father  and  son 
and  may  they  plunder. 

24.  to  king,  ruler,  and  governor,  may  they  bend 
their  ear. 

25.  May  they  cause  anger  also  to  the  lord  of  the 
gods  Merodach. 

26.  His  land  may  it  bring  forth  but  he  not  touch  it ; 

27.  his  desire  shall  be  cut  off",  and  his  will  be  un- 
answered ; 

28.  the  opening  of  his  mouth  no  god  shall  take 
notice  of; 

29.  his  back  shall  be  broken  and  not  be  healed; 

30.  at  his  urgent  trouble  no  god  shall  receive  him ; 


OF    THE    GBEATION.  85 

31.  his  heart  shall  be  poured  out,  and  his  mind 
shall  be  troubled ; 

32.  to  sin  and  wrong  his  face  shall  come 

S3 front 

34 

In  a  second  copy  which  presents  several  variations 
lines  14  to  19  are  omitted. 

This  valuable  fragment  is  unfortunately  obscure 
in  some  parts,  especially  on  the  obverse,  but  the 
general  meaning  is  undoubted,  and  the  approximate 
position  of  the  fragment  in  the  story  is  quite  clear. 
It  evidently  follows  the  fragment  giving  the  creation 
of  the  land  animals,  and  either  forms  a  further 
portion  of  the  same,  or  part  of  the  following 
tablet. 

The  obverse  gives  a  series  of  speeches  and  state- 
ments respecting  the  newly  created  man,  who  was 
supposed  to  be  under  the  especial  care  of  the  deities. 
It  happens  in  this  case  that  there  is  no  clue  to  the 
reason  for  these  speeches,  the  key  portions  of  the  in- 
scription being  lost,  but  a  point  is  evidently  made  of 
the  purity  of  the  man,  who  is  said  to  be  established 
in  the  company  of  the  gods  and  to  rejoice  their 
hearts.  The  various  divine  titles  or  names,  "  the 
god  of  noble  life,"  "  the  god  of  noble  crown,"  and 
"  the  god  of  noble  lips,"  are  all  most  probably  titles 
of  Hea. 

It  appears  from  line  18  that  the  race  of  human 
beings  spoken  of  is  the  zalmat-qaqadi^  or  dark  race, 
and  in  various  other  fragments  of  these  legends  they 


86  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

are  called  Admi  or  Adami,  which  is  exactly  the  name 
given  to  the  first  man  in  Genesis. 

The  word  Adam  used  in  these  legends  for  the  first 
human  being  is  evidently  not  a  proper  name,  but  is 
only  used  as  a  term  for  mankind.  Adam  appears  as 
a  proper  name  in  Genesis,  but  certainly  in  some  pas- 
sages is  only  used  in  the  same  sense  as  the  Assyrian 
word,  and  we  are  told  on  the  creation  of  human  beings 
(Genesis,  v.  1) :  "  In  the  day  that  God  created  man, 
in  the  likeness  of  God  made  he  him ;  male  and  female 
created  he  them ;  and  blessed  them,  and  called  their 
name  Adam,  in  the  day  when  they  were  created." 

It  has  already  been  pointed  out  by  Sir  Henry 
Rawlinson  that  the  Babylonians  recognized  two 
principal  races :  the  Adamu,  or  dark  race,  and  the 
Sarku,  or  light  race,  probably  in  the  same  manner 
that  two  races  are  mentioned  in  Genesis,  the  sons  of 
Adam  and  the  sons  of  God.  It  appears  incidentally 
from  the  fragments  of  inscriptions  that  it  was  the 
race  of  Adam,  or  the  dark  race,  which  was  believed 
to  have  fallen,  but  there  is  at  present  no  clue  to  the 
position  of  the  other  race  in  their  system.  We  are 
informed  in  Genesis  that  when  the  world  became 
corrupt  the  sons  of  God  intermarried  with  the  race 
of  Adam,  and  thus  spread  the  evils  which  had  com- 
menced with  the  Adamites  (see  Genesis,  ch.  vi.). 

The  obverse  of  the  tablet  giving  the  creation  of 
man,  where  it  breaks  off  leaves  him  in  a  state  of 
purity,  and  where  the  narrative  recommences  on  the 
reverse  man  has  already  fallen. 


OF    THE    CREATION.  87 

Here  it  is  difficult  to  say  how  far  the  narrative  of 
the  inscription  agrees  with  that  of  the  Bible.  In  this 
case  it  is  better  to  review  the  Biblical  account,  which 
is  complete,  and  compare  it  with  the  fragmentary 
allusions  in  the  inscriptions. 

After  the  statement  of  man's  innocence,  which 
agrees  with  the  inscription,  the  Bible  goes  on  to 
relate  (Genesis,  iii.  1),  that  the  serpent  was  more 
subtle  than  any  beast  of  the  field,  and  that  he 
tempted  the  woman  to  sin.  This  attributes  the 
origin  of  sin  to  the  serpent,  but  nothing  whatever  is 
said  as  to  the  origin  or  history  of  the  serpent.  The 
fragmentary  account  of  the  Fall  in  the  inscriptions 
mentions  the  dragon  Tiamat,  or  the  dragon  of  the 
sea,  evidently  in  the  same  relation  as  the  serpent, 
beino-  concerned  in  bringing  about  the  Fall.  This 
drao-on  is  called  the  dra^'on  of  tiamat  or  the  sea;  it 
is  generally  conceived  of  as  a  griffin,  and  is  connected 
with  the  original  chaos,  the  Thalatth  of  Berosus,  the 
female  principle  which,  according  to  both  the  inscrip- 
tions and  Berosus,  existed  before  the  creation  of  the 
universe.  This  was  the  original  spirit  of  chaos  and 
disorder,  a  spirit  opposed  in  principle  to  the  gods, 
and,  according  to  the  Babylonians,  self-existent  and 
eternal,  older  even  than  the  gods,  for  the  birth  or 
separation  of  the  deities  out  of  this  chaos  was  the 
first  step  in  the  creation  of  the  world. 

According  to  Genesis,  the  serpent  addressed  the 
woman  (Genesis,  iii.  1),  and  inquired  if  God  had  for- 
bidden them  to  eat  of  every  tree  of  the  Garden  of 


88  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

Eden,  eliciting  from  lier  the  statement  that  there 
was  a  tree  in  the  middle  of  the  Garden,  the  fruit  of 
which  was  forbidden  to  them.  There  is  nothing  in 
the  present  fragments  indicating  a  belief  in  the 
Garden  of  Eden  or  the  Tree  of  Knowledge;  there  is 
only  an  obscure  allusion  in  lines  16  and  22  to  a 
thirst  for  knowledge  having  been  a  cause  of  man's 
fall,  but  outside  these  inscriptions,  from  the  general 
body  of  Assyrian  texts.  Sir  Henry  Rawlinson  has 
pointed  out  the  agreement  of  the  Babylonian  region 
of  Karduniyas  or  Ganduniyas  with  the  Eden  of  the 
Bible.  Eden  is  a  fruitful  place,  watered  by  the  four 
rivers,  Euphrates,  Tigris,  Gihon,  and  Pison,  and 
Ganduniyas  is  similar  in  description,  watered  by  the 
four  rivers,  Euphrates,  Tigris,  Surappi,  and  Ukni. 
The  loss  of  this  portion  of  the  Creation  legend  is 
unfortunate,  as,  however  probable  it  may  be  that  the 
Hebrew  and  Babylonian  traditions  agree  about  the 
Garden  and  Tree  of  Knowledge,  we  cannot  now  prove 
it.  There  is  a  second  tree,  the  Tree  of  Life,  in  the 
Genesis  account  (oh.  iii.  22),  which  certainly  appears 
to  correspond  to  the  sacred  grove  of  Anu,  which  a 
later  fragment  states  was  guarded  by  a  sword  turn- 
ing to  all  the  four  points  of  the  compass. 

In  several  other  places  in  the  Genesis  legends,  and 
especially  in  the  legends  of  Izdubar,  there  are  allu- 
sions to  the  tree,  grove,  or  forest  of  the  gods,  and  this 
divine  tree  or  grove  is  often  represented  on  the  sculp- 
tures, both  in  the  Babylonian  gem  engravings,  and  on 
the  walls  of  the  Assyrian  palaces  and  temples.  When 


OF    TEE    CBEATION. 


89 


the  representation  is  complete,  the  tree  is  attended  by 
two  figures  of  cherubims,  one  on  each  side  of  the  sacred 
emblem. 

Accordino;  to  Genesis,  Adam  and  Eve,  tempted  by 


fefe-  ^ 


Sacred  Tuli  . 


Cherubim, 


FROM   A&bVRlAN   ClLINUER. 


the  serpent,  eat  of  the  fruit  of  the  Tree  of  Knowledge, 
and  so  by  disobedience  b'oiight  sin  into  the  world. 
These  details  are  also  lo^t  in  the  cuneiform  text, 
which  opens  again  where  the  gods  are  cursing  the 
dragon  and  the  Adam  or  man  for  this  transgression, 
corresponding  to  the  passage.  Genesis,  iii.  0  to  19. 
Throughout  this,  corresponding  passages  may  be 
found  which  show  that  the  same  idea  runs  through 
both  narratives,  but  some  passages  in  the  cuneiform 
account  are  too  mutilated  to  allow  any  certainty  to 
be  attached  to  the  translation,  and  the  loss  of  the 
previous  parts  of.  the  text  prevents  our  knowing 
what  points  the  allusions  are  directed  to. 

Although  so  much  of  the  most  important  part  of 
the  text  is  lost,  the  notices  in  other  parts,  and  the 
allusions  in  the  m}'thological  scenes  on  the  Babylonian 
gems  will  serve  to  guide  us  as  to  the  probable  drift 
of  the  missing  portion. 


Do  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

It  is  quite  clear  that  the  dragon  of  the  sea  or 
dragon  of  Tiamat  is  connected  with  the  Fall  like  the 
serpent  in  the  book  of  Genesis,  and  in  fact  is  the 
equivalent  of  the  serpent.  The  name  of  the  dragon 
is  not  written  phonetically,  but  by  two  monograms 
which  probably  mean  the  "scaly  one,"  or  animal 
covered  with  scales.  This  description,  of  course, 
might  apply  either  to  a  fabulous  dragon,  a  serpent, 
or  a  fish. 

The  only  passage  where  there  is  any  phonetic  ex- 
planation of  the  signs  is  in  "  Cuneiform  Inscriptions," 
vol.  ii.  p.  32,  1.  9,  where  we  have  turbuhtii  for  the 
place  or  den  of  the  dragon,  perhaps  connected  with 
the  Hebrew  nm,  sea-monster.  The  form  of  this 
creature  as  given  on  the  gems  is  that  of  a  griffin  or 
dragon  generally  with  a  head  like  a  carnivorous  animal, 
body  covered  with  scales,  legs  terminating  in  claws, 
like  an  eagle,  and  wings  on  the  back.  Our  own 
heraldic  griffins  are  so  strikingly  like  the  sculptures 
of  this  creature  that  we  might  almost  suspect  them  to 
be  copies  from  the  Chaldean  works.  In  some  cases, 
however,  the  early  Babylonian  seals,  which  contained 
devices  taken  from  these  legends,  more  closely  ap- 
proached the  Genesis  story.  One  striking  and  im- 
portant specimen  of  early  type  in  the  British  Museum 
collection  has  two  figures  sitting  one  on  each  side  of  a 
tree,  holding  out  their  hands  to  the  fruit,  while  at 
the  back  of  one  is  stretched  a  serpent.  We  know 
well  that  in  these  early  sculptures  none  of  these 
fio-ures  were  chance  devices,  but  all  represented  events 


OF    THE    CREATION.  91 

or  supposed  events,  and  figures  in  their  legenas ;  thus 
it  is  evident  that  a  form  of  the  story  of  the  Fall, 
similar  to  that  of  Genesis,  was  known  in  early  times 
in  Babylonia. 

The  dragon  which,  in  the  Chaldean  account  of  the 


Sacred  Tree,  Seated  Figure  on  each  side,  and  Serpent  in 

BACKGROUND,    FROM    AN    EARLT   BaBTLONIAN    CYLINDER. 

Creation,  leads  man  to  sin,  is  the  creature  of  Tiamat, 
the  living  principle  of  the  sea  and  of  chaos,  and  he  is 
an  embodiment  of  the  spirit  of  chaos  or  disorder 
which  was  opposed  to  the  deities  at  the  creation  of 
the  world. 

It  is  clear  that  the  dragon  is  included  in  the  curse 
for  the  Fall,  and  that  the  gods  invoke  on  the  head 
of  the  human  race  all  the  evils  which  afflict  hu- 
manity. Wisdom  and  knowledge  shall  injure  him 
(line  22),  he  shall  have  family  quarrels  (line  23), 
shall  submit  to  tyranny  (line  24),  he  will  anger  the 
gods  (line  25),  he  shall  not  eat  the  fruit  of  his  labour 
(line  26),  he  shall  be  disappointed  in  his  desires  (line 
27),  he  shall  pour  out  useless  prayer  (lines  28  and 
30),  he  shall  have  trouble  of  mind  and  body  (Hues  29 
and  31),  he  shall  commit  future  sin  (line  32).     No 


92  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

doubt  subsequent  lines  continue  these  topics,  but  again 
our  narrative  is  broken,  and  it  only  reopens  where  the 
gods  are  preparing  for  war  with  the  powers  of  evil, 
which  are  led  by  Tiamat,  which  war  probably  arose 
from  the  part  played  by  Tiamat  in  the  fall  of  man. 

My  first  idea  of  this  part  was  that  the  war  with 
the  powers  of  evil  preceded  the  Creation  ;  I  now 
think  it  followed  the  account  of  the  Fall,  but  I  have 
no  direct  proof  of  this. 

Of  the  subsequent  tablets   of  this  series,  which 
include  the  war  between   the   gods  and  powers  of 
.  evil,  and  the  punishment  of  the  dragon  Tiamat,  there 
are  several  fragments. 

The  first  of  these  is  K  4832,  too  mutilated  to 
translate,  it  contains  speeches  of  the  gods  before  the 
war. 

The  second  fragment,  K  3473,  contains  also 
speeches,  and  shows  the  gods  preparing  for  battle. 
It  is  very  fragmentary. 

1 his  mouth  opened 

2 his  .  .  a  word  he  spoke  * 

3 satisfy  my  anger 

4 of  thee  let  me  send  to  thee 

5 thou  ascendest 

6 thee  to  thy  presence 

7 their  curse 

8 in  a  circle  may  they  sit 

9 let  them  make  the  vine? 

10 of  them  may  they  hear  the  renown 

11 cover  them  he  set  and 


OF    THE    CREATION.  93 

12 thee  change  to  them 

13 he  sent  me 

14 he  held  me 

15 he  sinned  against  me 

16 and  angrily  .... 

17 the  gods  all  of  them 

18 made  her  hands  .... 

19 and  his  hand  Tiamat  coming 

20 destroyed  not  night  and  day 

21 burning  .  .  . 

22 they  made  division 

23 the  end  of  all  hands 

24 formerly  thou  .  .  .  great  serpents 

25 unyielding  I  .  .  .  . 

26 their  bodies  fill   ...  . 

27 fear  shall  cover  them 

(Several  other  mutilated  lines.) 

The  third  fragment,  K  3938,  is  on  the  same  sub- 
ject; some  lines  of  this  give  the  following  general 
meamng : — 

1.  great  animal   .... 

2.  fear  he  made  to  carry   .... 

3.  their  sight  was  very  great   .... 

4.  their  bodies  were  powerful  and    .... 

5 delightful,  strong  serpent   .... 

6.  Udgallu,  Urbat  and   .... 

7.  days  arranged,  five    .... 

8.  carrying  weapons  unyielding   .... 

9.  her  breast,  her  back   .... 

10.  flowino-?  and  first    .... 


94  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

11.  among  the  gods  collected    .... 

12.  the  god  Kingu  subdued    .... 

13.  inarching  in  front  before    .... 

14.  carrying  weapons  thou  .... 

15.  upon  war   .... 

16.  his  hand  appointed 

There  are  many  more  similar  broken  lines,  and  on 
the  other  side  fragments  of  a  speech  by  some  being 
who  desires  Tiamat  to  make  war. 

All  these  fragments  are  not  sufficiently  complete 
to  translate  with  certainty,  or  even  to  ascertain  their 
order. 

The  fourth  fragment,  K  8449,  relates  to  the  making 
of  weapons  to  arm  the  god  who  should  meet  in  war 
the  dragon. 

This  reads  with  some  doubt  on  account  of  its 
mutilation : 

1.  heart 

2.  burning 

3.  from 

4.  in  the  temple 

5.  may  he  fix 

6.  the  dwelling  of  the  god 

7.  the  great  gods 

8.  the  gods  said?  .... 

9.  the  sword  that  was  made  the  gods  saw 

10.  and  they  saw  also  the  bow  which  was 
strung 

1 1 .  the  work  that  was  made  they  placed 

12.  carried  also  Anu  in  the  assembly  of  the 
gods 


OF    THE    CREATION. 


95 


13.  the  bow  lie  fitted  she 

14.  and  he  spake  of  the  bow  thus  and  said 

15.  Noble  wood  who  shall  first  thus  draw  thee? 
against  ? 

16.  speed  her  punishment  the  star  of  the  bow  in 
heaven  

17.  and  establish  the  resting  place  of 

18.  from  the  choice  of 

19.  and  place  his  throne 

20 in  heaven 

21 

The  next  fragment  or  collection  of  fragments  gives 


^1 


Bel  encountering  the  Dragon  ;  from 
Batlonian  Cylindek. 

the  final  struggle  between  Tiamat  and  Merodach  or 
Bel,  and  this  fragment  appears  to  distinguish  between 
the  dragon  of  Tiamat  or  the  sea  monster,  and  Tiamat 
the  female  personification  of  the  sea;  but  I  am  not 
sure  of  this  distinction.  The  saparu^  or  sickle-shaped 
sword,  is  always  represented  both  in  the  sculptures 
and  inscriptions  as  a  weapon  of  Bel  in  this  war. 

Sixth  Fragment. 

1 he  fixed  .... 

2 to  his  right  hand  he  distributed  ■ 


96  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

3 and  quiver  his  hand  hurled, 

4.  the  lightning  he  sent  before  him, 
5 fierceness  filled  his  body. 

6.  He  made  the  sword  to  silence  the  dragon  of  the 
sea, 

7.  the   seven  winds    he    fixed  not  to  come    out 
of  her  wound. 

8.  On  the   South,  the  North,  the  East,  and  the 
West, 

9.  his  hand  the  sword  he  caused  to  hold  before 
the  grove  of  his  father  the  god  Anu. 

10.  He  made  the  evil  wind,  the  hostile  wind,  the 
tempest,  the  storm, 

11.  the  four  winds,    the    seven  winds,   the   wind 
of  .  .  .  .,  the  irregular  wind. 

12.  He  brought  out  the  winds  he  had  created  seven 
of  them, 

13.  the  dragon  of   the  sea   stretched   out,  came 
after  him, 

14.  he  carried  the  thunderbolt  his  great  weapon, 

15.  in  a  chariot  .  .  .  unrivalled,  driving  he  rode: 

16.  he  took  her  and  four  fetters  on  her  hands  he 
fastened, 

17 unyielding,  storming  ....  her 

18 with  their  sting  bringing  death 

19 sweeping  away  knowledge 

20 destruction  and  fighting 

21 left  hand  .... 

22 fear  .... 

(Several  other  fragmentary  lines.) 


OF    TEE    GEE  AT  ION.  97 

Reverse. 

1 the  god  Sar 

2 dwelling 

3 before  the  weapon 

4 field 

5 above 

6 struck  to  the  god 

7 them 

8 cut  into 

9 said  to  his  wife 

10 him  to  break  the  god 

11 evil?  thou  shalt  be  delivered  and 

12 thy  evil  thou  shalt  subdue, 

13.  the  tribute  to  thy  maternity  shall  be  forced 
upon  them  by  thy  weapons, 

14.  I  will  stand  by  and  to   thee   they  shall   be 
made  a  spoil. 

15.  Tiamat  on  hearing  this 

16.  at  once  joined  and  changed  her  resolution. 

17.  Tiamat  called  and  quickly  arose, 

18.  strongly   and   firmly   she  encircled  with  her 
defences, 

19.  she  took  a  ghdle?  and  placed 

20.  and  the  gods  for  war  prepared  for  them  their 
weapons. 

21.  Tiamat  attacked  the  just  prince  of  the  gods 
Merodach, 

22.  the  standards  they  raised  in  the  conflict  like  a 
battle. 

23.  Bel  also  drew  out  his  sword  and  wounded  her. 

H 


98  BABYLONIAN    LEGEND 

24.  The  evil  wind  coming  afterwards  struck  against 
her  face. 

25.  Tiamat  opened  her  mouth  to  swallow  him, 

26.  the  evil  wind  he  caused  to  enter,  before  she 
could  shut  her  lips ; 

27.  the  force  of  the  wind  her  stomach  filled,  and 

28.  her  heart  trembled,  and  her  face  was  distorted, 
29 violently  seized  her  stomach, 

30.  her  inside  it  broke,  and  conquered  her  heart. 

31.  He  imprisoned  her,  and  her  work  he  ended. 

32.  Her  allies  stood  over  her  astonished, 

33.  when  Tiamat  their  leader  was  conquered. 

34.  Her  ranks  he  broke,  her  assembly  was  scat- 
tered, 

35.  and  the  gods  her  helpers  who  went  beside  her 

36.  trembled,  feared,  and  broke  up  themselves, 

37.  the  expiring  of  her  life  they  fled  from, 

38.  w^ar  surrounding  they  were  fleeing  not  stand- 
ing? 

39 them  and  their  weapons  he  broke 

40.  like  a  sword  cast  down,  sitting  in  darkness, 

41.  knowing  their  capture,  full  of  grief, 

42.  their  strength  removed,  shut  in  bonds, 

43.  and  at  once  the  strength  of  their  work  was 
overcome  with  terror, 

44.  the  throwing  of  stones  going  .... 

45.  He  cast  down  the  enemy,  his  hand  .... 

46.  part  of  the  enemy  under  him  .... 

47.  and  the  god  Kingu  again  .... 
48 

Again  the   main   difficulty   arises   from   the  frag- 


OF    THE    CREATION.  99 

mentary  state  of  the  documents,  it  being  impossible 
even  to  decide  the  order  of  the  fragments.  It  ap- 
pears, however,  that  the  gods  have  fashioned  for  them 
a  sword  and  a  bow  to  fight  the  dragon  Tiamat,  and 
Anil  proclaims  great-  honour  (fourth  fragment,  lines 
15  to  20)  to  any  of  the  gods  who  Avill  engage  in 
battle  with  her.  Bel  or  Merodach  volunteers,  and 
goes  forth  armed  with  these  weapons  to  fight  the 
dragon.     Tiamat  is  encouraged  by  one  of  the  gods 


Merodach,  or  Bel,  armed  for  the  Conflict  with  the 
Dragon;  from  Assyrian  Ctlinder. 

who  has  become  her  husband,  and  meets  Merodach  in 
battle.  The  description  of  the  fight  and  the  subse- 
quent triumph  of  the  god  are  very  fine,  and  remark- 
ably curious  in  their  details,  but  the  connection 
between  the  fragments  is  so  uncertain  at  present 
that  it  is  better  to  reserve  comment  upon  them  until 
the  text  is  more  complete.  This  war  between  the 
powers  of  good  and  evil,  chaos  and  order,  is  extra  to 
the  Creation,  does  not  correspond  with  anything  in 
Genesis,   but   rather    finds    its  parallel  in  the  war 


100    BABYLONIAN   LEGEND    OF    CBEATION- 

between  Michael  and  the  dragon  in  Revelation,  xii. 
7  to  9,  where  the  dragon  is  called  "  the  great  dragon, 
that  old  serpent,  called  the  devil  and  Satan,  which 
deceiveth  the  whole  world."  This  description  is 
strikingly  like  the  impression  gathered  from  the 
fragments  of  the  cuneiform  story ;  the  dragon  Tiamat 
who  fought  against  the  gods  and  led  man  to  sin,  and 
Avhose  fate  it  was  to  be  conquered  in  a  celestial  war, 
closely  corresponds  in  all  essential  points  to  the 
dragon  conquered  by  Michael.  These  fragments  of 
the  cuneiform  account  of  the  Creation  and  Fall 
agree  so  far  as  they  are  preserved  with  the  Biblical 
account,  and  show  that  in  the  period  from  B.C.  2000 
to  1500  the  Babylonians  believed  in  a  similar  story 
to  that  in  Genesis. 


Fight  between  Bel  and  the  Dragon, 
FKOM  Babylonian  Ctlindek. 


Chapter  YI, 

OTHER  BABYLONIAN"  ACCOUNTS  OF  THE 
CREATION. 


Cuneiform  accounts  originally  traditions.  — Variations.  — 
Account  of  Berosus.  —  Tablet  from  Cutha.  —  Translation. — 
Composite  animals. —  Eagle-headed  men.  —  Seven  brothers. — 
Destruction  of  men. — Seven  wicked  spirits. — War  in  heaven. — 
Variations  of  story, — Poetical  account  of  Creation. 

N  tlie  last  chapter  I  have  given  the 
fragments  of  the  principal  story  of 
the  Creation  and  Fall  from  the  cunei- 
form inscriptions,  but  it  appears  from 
the  tablets  that  all  these  legends  were  "  traditions" 
or  "  stories"  repeated  by  word  of  mouth,  and  after- 
wards committed  to  writing.  "When  such  traditions 
are  not  reduced  to  writing,  and  depend  on  being 
handed  down  from  generation  to  generation  by  word 
of  mouth,  they  are  liable  to  vary,  sometimes  very 
widely,  according  to  the  period  and  condition  of  the 
country.  Thus  many  different  versions  of  a  story 
arise,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  was  actually 
the   case   with   the  Creation  legends.     There  must 


102        OTHER    BABYLONIAN    ACCOUNTS 

have  been  a  belief  in  the  Creation  and  some  of  the 
leading  features  of  this  story  long  before  these 
Creation  legends  were  committed  to  writing,  and  there 
is  evidence  of  other  stories,  related  to  those  already 
given,  which  were  at  about  the  same  time  committed 
to  writing.  The  story  of  the  Creation  transmitted 
through  Berosus  (see  chapter  iii.  pp.  37-50)  supplies 
us  M'ith  a  totally  different  story,  differing  entirely  from 
the  cuneiform  account  in  the  last  chapter  and  from 
the  Genesis  account,  and  some  fragments  of  tablets 
from  Kouyunjik  belonging  to  the  library  of  Assur- 
banipal  give  a  copy,  mutilated  as  usual,  of  another 
version  having  many  points  of  agreement  with  the 
account  of  Berosus.  This  legend,  of  which  the  fol- 
lowing is  a  translation,  is  stated  to  be  copied  from  a 
tablet  at  Cutlia. 

Legend  of  Creation  from  Cutha  tablet. 

(Many  lines  lost  at  commencement.) 
1.  lord  of  ...  . 

2 his  lord  the  strength  of  the  gods  .... 

3 his  host  ....  host  .... 

4.  lord  of  the  upper  region  and  the  lower  region 
lord  of  angels  .... 

5.  who  drank  turbid  waters  and  pure  water  did 
not  drink, 

6.  with  his  flame,  his  weapon,  that  man  he  enclosed, 

7.  he  took,  he  destroyed, 

8.  on  a  tablet  nothing   was  then    written,    and 
there  were  not  left  the  carcasses  and  waste? 


Eaolf.-headed  Man.     Frcm  Nimroud  Sculpture. 


OF    THE    CBEATION.  103 

9.  from  tlie  earth  nothing  arose  and  I  had  not 
come  to  it. 

10.  Men  with  the  bodies  of  birds  of  the  desert, 
human  beings 

11.  with  the  faces  of  ravens, 

12.  these  the  great  gods  created, 

13.  and  in  the  earth  the  gods  created  for  them  a 
dwelling. 

14.  Tamat  gave  unto  them  strength, 

15.  theh  life  the  mistress  of  the  gods  raised, 

16.  in  the  midst  of  the  earth  they  grew  up  and 
became  great, 

17.  and  increased  in  number, 

18.  Seven  kings  brothers  of  the  same  family, 

19.  six  thousand  in  number  were  their  people, 

20.  Banini  their  father  was  king,  their  mother 

21.  the  queen  was  Milili, 

22.  their  eldest   brother  who  went  before  them, 
Mimangab  was  his  name, 

23.  their  second   brother  Midudu  was  his  name, 

24.  their  third  brother  ....  tur  was  his  name, 

25.  their  fourth  brother  .  .  .   .  dada  was  his  name, 

26.  their  fifth  brother  ....  tah  was  his  name, 

27.  their  sixth  brother  ....  ru  was  his  name, 

28.  their  seventh  brother  ....  was  his  name. 

CoLuaiN  II. 
(Many  lines  lost.) 

1 evil  .... 

2.  man  his  Avill  turned 


104        OTHER    BABYLONIAN    ACCOUNTS 

3.  in  ....  I  purified? 

4.  On  a  tablet  the  evil  curse  of  man  he  carved  ? 

5.  I  called  the  worshippers  and  sent, 

6.  seven  in  width  and  seven  in  depth  I  arranged 
them. 

7.  I  gave  them  noble  reeds?  (pipes?) 

8.  I  worshipped  also  the  great  gods 

9.  Ishtar,  .  .  .  .  ,  Zamama,  Anunitu 

10.  Nebo  ....  Shamas  the  warrior, 

11.  the  gods  listened  to  my  doings 
12 he  did  not  give  and 

13.  thus  I  said  in  my  heart: 

14.  Now  here  am  I  and 

15.  let  there  not  ....  ground 

16.  let  there  not  .... 

17.  may  I  go  as  I  trust  in  Bel  ....  my  heart, 

18.  and  ....  my  iron  may  I  take. 

19.  In  the  first  year  in  the  course  of  it 

20.  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  men  I  sent 
out  and  among  them, 

21.  one  of  them  did  not  return. 

22.  In  the  second  year  in  the  course  of  it,  ninety 
thousand  the  same. 

23.  In  the  third  year  in  the  course  of  it,  sixty 
thousand  seven  hundred  the  same. 

24.  They  were  rooted   out   they  were  punished, 
I  eat, 

25.  I  rejoiced,  I  made  a  rest. 

26.  Thus  I  said  in  my  heart  now  here  am  I  and 

27.  at  this  time  what  is  left  ? 


OF    THE    CREATION.  105 

28.  I  the  king,  am  not  the  preserver  of  his  country, 

29.  and  the  ruler  is  not  the  preserver  of  his  people. 

30.  When  I  have  done  may  corpses  and  waste  be 
left, 

31.  the  saving  of  the  people  from   night,  death, 
spirits,  curses, 

(Many  more  broken  lines,  meaning  quite  uncertain.) 

Fragment  of  Column  III. 
1.  ...  I  caused  to  pursue  .... 
2 blood 

3.  in  the  midst  of  them  twelve  men  fled  from  me. 

4.  After  them  I  pursued,  swiftly  I  went, 

5.  those  men,  I  captured  them 

6.  those  men  I  turned 

7.  Thus  I  said  in  my  heart 

Column  IV. 
(Several  Hnes  lost  at  commencement.) 

1.  to 

2.  the  powerful  king  .... 

3.  the  gods  .... 

4.  hand  ....  take  them 

5.  thou  king,  viceroy,  prince,  or  any  one  else, 

6.  whom  God  shall  call,  and  who  shall  rule  the 
kingdom, 

7.  who  shall  rebuild  this  house,  this  tablet  I  write 
to  thee, 

8.  in  the  city  of  Cutha,  in  the  temple  of  Sitlam, 

9.  in  the  sanctuary  of  Nergal,  I  leave  for  thee ; 


106        OTHER    BABYLONIAN    ACCOUNTS 

10.  this  tablet  see,  and, 

11.  to  the  words  of  this  tablet  listen,  and 

12.  do  not  rebel,  do  not  fail, 

13.  do  not  fear,  and  do  not  turn  away, 

14.  then  may  thy  support  be  established, 

15.  thou  in  thy  works  shall  be  glorious, 

16.  thy  forts  shall  be  strong, 

17.  thy  canals  shall  be  full  of  water, 

18.  thy  treasures,  thy  corn,  thy  silver, 

19.  thy  furniture,  thy  goods, 

20.  and  thy  instruments,  shall  be  multiplied. 
(A  few  more  mutilated  lines.) 


Sacred  Tree,  attendant  Figures  and  Eagle-headed  Men,  from  the 
SEAL  OF  A  Syrian  Chief,  ninth  century  b.c. 


This  is  a  very  obscure  inscription,  the  first  column, 
however,  forms  part  of  a  relation  similar  to  that  of 
Berosus  in  his  history  of  the  Creation  ;  the  beings  who 
were  killed  by  the  light,  and  those  with  men's  heads 
and  bird's  bodies,  and  bird's  heads  and  men's  bodies, 


OF    TEE    CREATION.  107 

agree  witli  the  composite  monsters  of  Berosus,  while 
the  goddess  of  chaos,  Tiamat,  who  is  over  them,  is  the 
same  again  as  the  Tiamat  of  the  Creation  legends 
and  the  Thalatth  of  Berosus. 

The  relation  in  the  second  and  third  columns  of 
the  inscription  is  difficult,  and  does  not  correspond 
with  any  known  incident.  The  fourth  column  con- 
tains an  address  to  any  future  king  who  should  read 
the  inscription  which  was  deposited  in  the  temple  of 
Nergal  at  Cutha. 

It  is  probable  that  this  legend  was  supposed  to  be 
the  work  of  one  of  the  mythical  kings  of  Chaldea, 
who  describes  the  conditio!)  and  history  of  the  world 
before  his  time. 

There  is  another  legend  which  appears  to  be  con- 
nected with  these,  the  legend  of  the  seven  evil  spirits, 
which  I  have  given  in  my  former  work,  "  Assyrian 
Discoveries,"  p.  398. 

Tablet  with  the  story  of  the  Seven  WicJced  Gods  or 
Spirits. 

CoLu:\iN  I. 

1.  In  the  first  days  the  evil  gods 

2.  the  angels  who  were  in  rebellion,  who  in  the 
lower  part  of  heaven 

3.  had  been  created, 

4.  they  caused  their  evil  work 

5.  devising  with  wicked  heads  .  .  . 


108       OTHEU    BABYLONIAN    ACCOUNTS 

6.  ruling  to  tlie  river  .... 

7.  There  were  seven  of  them.   The  first  was  .  .  „ 

8.  the  second  was  a  great  animal  .... 

9.  which  any  one  .... 

10.  the  third  was  a  leopard  .... 

11.  the  fourth  was  a  serpent  .... 

12.  the  fifth  was  a  terrible  ....  which  to  ...  . 

13.  the  sixth  was  a  striker  which  to  god  and  king 
did  not  submit, 

14.  the  seventh  was  the  messenger  of  the  evil  wind 
which  ....  made. 

15.  The  seven  of  them  messengers  of  the  god  Anu 
their  king 

16.  from  city  to  city  went  round 

17.  the  tempest  of  heaven  was  strongly  bound  to 
them, 

18.  the  flying  clouds  of  heaven  surrounded  them, 

19.  the  downpour  of  the  skies  which  in  the  bright 
day 

20.  makes  darkness,  was  attached  to  them 

21.  with  a  violent  wind,  an  evil  wind,  they  began, 

22.  the  tempest  of  Yul  was  their  might, 

23.  at  the  right  hand  of  Vul  they  came, 

24.  from  the  surface  of  heaven  like  lightning  they 
darted, 

25.  descending  to  the  abyss  of  waters,  at  first  they 
came. 

26.  In  the  wide  heavens  of  the  god  Anu  the  king 

27.  evil  they  set  up,  and  an  opponent   they  had 
not. 


OF    THE    CREATION,  109 

28.  At  this  time  Bel  of  this  matter  heard  and 

29.  the  account  sank  into  his  heart. 

30.  AYith  Hea  the  noble  sage  of  the  gods  he  took 
counsel,  and 

31.  Sin  (the  moon),  Shamas  (the  sun),  and  Ishtar 
(Venus)  in  the  lower  part  of  heaven  to  control  it  he 
appointed. 

32.  With  Anu  to  the  government  of  the  whole  of 
heaven  he  set  them  up. 

33.  To  the  three  of  them  the  gods  his  children, 

34.  day  and  night  to  be  united  and  not  to  break 
apart, 

35.  he  urged  them. 

36.  In  those  days  those  seven  evil  spirits 

37.  in  the  lower  part  of  heaven  commencing, 

38.  before  the  light  of  Sin  fiercely  they  came, 

39.  the  noble  Shamas  and  A^ul  (the  god  of  the 
atmosphere)  the  warrior  to  their  side  they  turned 
and 

40.  Ishtar  with  Anu  the  king  into  a  noble  seat 

41.  they  raised  and  in  the  government  of  heaven 
they  fixed. 

Column  II. 

1.  The  god 

2 

3.  The  god 

4.  which 

5.  In  those  days  the  seven  of  them  .  .  •  • 


110       OTHER    BABYLONIAN  AGG0TTNT8 

6.  at  the  head  in  the  control  to 

7.  evil 

8.  for  the  drinking  of  his  noble  mouth  .... 

9.  The  god  Sin  the  ruler  ....  mankind 
10 of  the  earth 

11 troubled  and  on  high  he  sat, 

12.  night  and  day  fearing,  in  the  seat  of  his  do- 
minion he  did  not  sit. 

13.  Those  evil  gods  the  messengers  of  Anu  their 
king 

14.  devised    with    wicked    heads    to    assist    one 
another,  and 

15.  evil  they  spake  together,  and 

16.  from  the  midst  of  heaven  like  a  wind  to  the 
earth  they  came  down. 

17.  The  god  Bel  of  the  noble  Sin,  his  trouble 

18.  in  heaven,  he  saw  and 

19.  Bel  to  his  attendant  the  god  Nusku  said : 

20.  "  Attendant  Nusku  this  account  to  the  ocean 
carry,  and 

21.  the  news  of  my  child  Sin  who  in  heaven  is 
greatly  troubled ; 

22.  to  the  god  Hea  in  the  ocean  repeat." 

23.  Nusku  the  will  of  his  lord  obeyed,  and 

24.  to  Hea  in  the  ocean  descended  and  went. 

25.  To  the  prince,  the  noble  sage,  the  lord,  the 
god  unfailing, 

26.  Nusku  the  message  of  his    lord   at  once  re- 
peated. 

27.  Hea  in  the  ocean  that  message  heard,  and 


OF    THE    GBEATION.  Ill 

28.  his  lips  spake,  and  with  wisdom  his  mouth  was 
filled. 

29.  Hea  his  son  the  god  Merodach  called,  and  this 
word  he  spake : 

30.  "  Go  my  son  Merodach 

31.  enter  into  the  shining  Sin  who  in  heaven  is 
greatly  troubled ; 

32.  his  trouble  from  heaven  expel. 

33.  Seven  of  them  the  evil  gods,  spirits  of  death, 
having  no  fear, 

34.  seven  of  them  the  evil  gods,  who  like  a  flood 

35.  descend  and  sweep  over  the  earth. 

36.  To  the  earth  like  a  storm  they  come  down. 

37.  Before  the  hght  of  Sin  fiercely  they  came 

38.  the  noble  Shamas  and  Vul  the  warrior,  to 
their  side  they  turned  and  .... 

The  end  of  this  legend  is  lost ;  it  probably  recorded 
the  interference  of  Merodach  in  favour  of  Sin,  the 
moon  god. 

In  this  story,  which  differs  again  from  all  the  others, 
Bel  is  supposed  to  place  in  the  heaven  the  Moon, 
Sun,  and  Venus,  the  representative  of  the  stars.  The 
details  have  no  analogy  with  the  other  stories,  and 
this  can  only  be  considered  a  poetical  myth  of  the 
Creation. 

This  legend  is  part  of  the  sixteenth  tablet  of  the 
series  on  evil  spirits ;  but  the  tablet  contains  other 
matters  as  well,  the  legend  apparently  being  only 
quoted  in  it.  There  is  another  remarkable  legend 
of  the  same   sort  on   another   tablet  of  this  series 


112         ACCOUNTS    OF    THE    CREATION. 

publislied  in  "Cuneiform  Inscriptions,"  vol.  iv.  p.  15. 
The  whole  of  this  series  concerns  the  wanderings  of 
the  god  Merodach,  who  goes  about  the  world  seeking 
to  remove  curses  and  spells,  and  in  every  difficulty- 
applying  to  his  father  Hea  to  learn  how  to  combat 
the  influence  of  the  evil  spirits,  to  whom  all  misfor- 
tunes were  attributed. 


Chapter  VII. 

THE   SIX  OF   THE   GOD  ZU. 

God  Zu. — Obscurity  of  legend. — Translation. — Sin  of  Zu. — 
Anger  of  the  gods. — Speeches  of  Anu  to  Vul. — Vul's  answer. — 
Speech  of  Anu  to  Nebo. — Answer  of  jSTebo. — Sarturda. — Changes 
to  a  bird. — The  Zu  bii*d. — Bird  of  prey. — Sarturda  lord  of 
Amarda. 

MOXG  the  legends   of   the  gods,  com- 
panion  stories  to  the  accounts  of  the 
Creation  and  Deluge,  one  of  the  most 
curious  is  the  legend  of  the  sin   com- 
mitted by  the  god  Zu. 

This  legend  stands  alone  among  the  stories,  its 
incidents  and  its  principal  actor  being  otherwise 
almost  unknown  from  cuneiform  sources.  I  have  at 
present  only  detected  one  copy  of  the  story,  and  this 
is  in  so  mutilated  a  condition  that  it  cannot  be  con- 
nected with  any  other  of  the  legends.  From  some 
similarity  in  style,  I  conjecture  that  it  may  form  the 
first  tablet  of  the  series  which  I  have  termed  the 
"  Wars  of  the  Gods."  I  have,  however,  no  sufhcient 
evidence  to   connect  the  two,  and  for  this  reason 


rj(^    05 


114.  THE    SIN-    OF    THE    GOD    ZTT. 

give  it  here  a  separate  place,  preceding  the  tablets  of 
the  "Wars  of  the  Gods." 

The  principal  actor  in  the  legend  is  a  being  named 
Zu,  the  name  being  found  in  all  three  cases  of  an 
Assyrian  noun  Zu,  Za  and  Zi.  Preceding  the  name 
is  the  determinative  of  divinity,  from  which  I  judge 
Zu  to  have  been  ranked  among  the  gods. 

The  story  of  the  sin  of  Zu  has  sometimes  re- 
minded me  of  the  outrage  of  Ham  on  his  father 
Noah,  and  the  mutilation  of  Ouranus  by  his  son 
Saturn,  but  there  is  not  sufficient  evidence  to  connect 
the  stories,  and  there  are  in  the  Assyrian  account 
several  very  difficult  words.  One  of  these  is  par- 
ticularly obscure,  and  I  only  transcribe  it  here  by 
the  ordinary  phonetic  values  of  the  characters 
um-sim-i,  it  may  possibly  mean  some  talisman  or 
oracle  in  the  possession  of  Bel,  which  was  robbed 
from  him  by  Zu.  There  are  besides  the  two  diffi- 
cult words  j9a?^^/  and  tereti^  which  I  have  preferred 
merely  transcribing  in  my  translation.  It  must  be 
added  that  the  inscription  is  seriously  mutilated  in 
some  parts,  giving  additional  difficulty  in  the  trans- 
lation. 

The  tablet  containing  the  account  of  the  sin  of 
Zu,  K  3454,  in  the  Museum  collection,  originally- 
contained  four  columns  of  text,  each  column  having 
about  sixty  lines  of  writing.  The  first  and  fourth 
column  are  almost  entii-ely  lost,  there  not  being 
enough  anywhere  to  translate  from. 

The  single  fragment  preserved,  belonging  to  the 


TEE    SIN    OF    THE    GOD    Z  V.  115 

first  column,  mentions  some  being  who  was  the  seed 
or  firstborn  of  Elu  or  Bel,  with  a  number  of  titles, 
such  as  "  warrior,  soldier  of  the  temple  of  Hamsi," 
and  the  name  of  the  god  Zu  occurs,  but  not  so  as  to 
prove  these  titles  to  be  his. 

The  following  is  a  partial  translation  of  the  remains 
of  this  tablet : — 

K.  3454. 

Column  I.  lost. 

Column  II. 

1.  the   fate?   going   ....  of  the   gods   all    of 
them  he  sent. 

2 Zu  grew  old  and 

3.  Zu?  like  ....  Bel  ....  him 

4.  three?  streams?  of  water  in  front  and 

5.  the  work  Bel  finished?  he  slejDt  in  it. 

6.  The  crown  of  his  majesty,    the    clothing   of 
his  divinity, 

7.  his  U7nsimi,  his  crown?  Zu  stripped,  and 

8.  he  stripped  also  the  father  of  the   gods,  the 
venerable  of  heaven  and  earth. 

9.  The  desii-e?    of  majesty  he  conceived  in  his 
heart, 

10.  Zu  stripped  also  the  father  of  the  gods,  the 
venerable  of  heaven  and  earth. 

11.  The  desire?    of  majesty  he  conceived  in  his 
heart : 

12.  Let  me  carry  away  the  umsimi  of  the  gods, 

13.  and  the  tereti  of  all  the  gods  may  it  burn, 


116  THE    SIN    OF    THE    GOD    ZJT. 

14.  may  my  throne  be  established,  may  I  possess 
the  parzi, 

15.  may  I  govern  the  whole  of  the  seed  of  the 
angels. 

16.  And  he  hardened  his  heart  to  make  war, 

17.  in  the  vicinity  of  the  house  where  he  slept,  he 
waited  until  the  head  of  the  day. 

18.  When  Bel  poured  out  the  beautiful  waters 

19.  spread  out  on  the  seat  his  crown?  was  placed, 

20.  the  umsimi  he  took  in  his  hand, 

21.  the  majesty  he  carried  off  he  cast  away  the 
parzi^ 

22.  Zu  fled  away  and  in  his  country  concealed 
himself. 

23.  Then  spread  darkness,  and  made  a  commotion, 

24.  the  father,  their  king,  the  ruler  Bel. 
25 he  sent  the  glory  of  the  gods 

26.  divinity  was  destroyed  in  ...  . 

27.  Anu  his  mouth  opened,  and  spake 

28.  and  said  to  the  gods  his  sons : 

29.  Whoever  will,  let  him  slay  Zu, 

30.  in  all  the  countries  may  his  name  be  renowned. 

31.  To  Vul  the  powerful  light  the  son  of  Anu 

32.  a   speech  .he   made   to   him,  also   and    spake 
to  him. 

33.  To  Yul  the  powerful  hght  the  son  of  Anu 

34.  a  speech   he   made   to   him,  also   and   spake 
to  him : 

35.  Hero  Yul  let  there  not  be  opposition  in  thee 


TBE    SIN    OF    THE    GOD    Z  U.  117 

36.  slay  Zu  with  thy  weapon. 

37.  May  thy  name  be  renowned  in  the  assembly 
of  the  gods, 

38.  in  the  midst  of  thy  brothers,  first  set  up, 
39 made  also  fragrant  with  spices, 

40.  in  the  four  regions  they  shall  fix  thy  city. 

41.  May  thy  city  be  exalted  like  the  temple, 

42.  they  shall  cry  in  the  presence  of  the  gods  and 
praise  thy  name. 

43.  Ynl  answered  the  speech, 

44.  to  his  flither  Ann  word  he  spake; 

45.  Father  to  a  desert   country  do  thou  consign 
him. 

46.  Let  Zu  not  come  among  the  gods  thy  sons, 

47.  for  the  umsimi  he  took  in  his  hand, 

48.  the  majesty  he  carried  oft',  he  cast  away  the 
parzi^ 

49.  and  Zu  fled  away  and  in  his  country  concealed 
himself. 

50 opening  his  mouth  like  the  venerable 

of  heaven  and  earth 

51 like  mud 

52 was,  the  gods  swept  away 

53 I  will  not  go  he  said. 

(Sixteen  lines  lost  here,  part  on  this  column,   part 
on  Column  III.) 

Column  III. 

1.  and  Zu  fled  away  and  in  his  country  concealed 
himself. 


118  THE    SIN    OF    TEE    GOD    ZJJ. 

2 opening  his  mouth  like  the  venerable 

of  heaven  and  earth 

3 like  mud 

4 was,  the  gods  swept  away 

5 I  will  not  go  he  said. 

6.  To   Nebo   the    powerful  ....  the  child   of 
Ishtar, 

7.  a  speech  he  made  to  him  also  and  spake  to  him : 

8.  Hero  Nebo  let  there  not  be  opposition  in  thee, 

9.  siay  Zu  with  thy  weapon. 

10.  May  thy  name  be  renowned  in  the  assembly 
of  the  gods, 

11 made  also  fragrant  with  spices, 

12.  in  the  four  regions  they  shall  fix  thy  city. 

13.  May  thy  city  be  exalted  like  the  temple, 

14.  they  shall  cry  in  the  presence  of  the  gods  and 
praise  thy  name. 

15.  Nebo  answered  the  speech, 

16.  to  his  father  Anu  word  he  spake : 

17.  Father  to  a  desert  country  do  thou  consign 
him. 

18.  Let  Zu  not  come  among  the  gods  thy  sons, 

19.  for  the  umsimi  he  took  in  his  hand, 

20.  the  majesty  he  carried  off  he  cast  away  the 
parzi^ 

21.  and  Zu  fled  away  and  in  his   country  con- 
cealed himself. 

22 opening  his  mouth  like  the  venerable  of 

heaven  and  earth 


THE    SIN    OF    THE    GOD    ZU.  119 

About  ten  lines  lost  here. 

33.  And  thus  the  god  .... 

34.  I  also  .... 

35.  and  thus  .... 

36.  He  heard  also  .... 

37.  he  turned  .... 

38.  The  god  of  noble  face  .... 
.    39.  to  Anu  .... 

Column  IV.  lost. 
Such  are  the  fragments  of  the  story  so  far  as  they 
can  be  translated  at  present.  The  divine  Zu  here 
mentioned  whose  sin  is  spoken  of  is  never  counted 
among  the  gods,  and  there  would  be  no  clue  to  his 
nature  were  it  not  for  a  curious  tablet  printed  in 
"  Cuneiform  InscrijDtions,"  vol.  iv.  p.  14,  from  which 
it  appears  that  he  was  in  the  likeness  of  a  bird  of 
prey.  This  tablet  gives  the  following  curious  rela- 
tion: 

"-  1.  The  god  Sarturda  (the  lesser  king)  to  a  country 
a  place  remote  [went], 

2.  in  the  land  of  Sabu  [he  dwelt]. 

3.  His  mother  had  not  placed  him  and  had  not 

4.  his  father  had  not  placed  him  and  with  him  did 
not  [go], 

5.  the  strength  of  his  knowledge  .... 

6.  From  the  will  of  his  heart  a  resolution  he  did 
not  .... 

7.  In  his  own  heart  a  resolution  he  made, 

8.  to  the  likeness  of  a  hiid  he  changed, 


120  THE   SIN    OF    TEE    GOD    ZU. 

9.  to  the  likeness  of  the  divine  storm  bird  (or  Zu 
bird)  he  changed, 

10.  his  wife  forcibly  he  associated  with, 

11.  the  wife  of  the  divine  Zu  bird,  the  son  of  the 
divine  Zu  bird, 

12.  in  companionship  he  made  sit. 

13.  The  goddess  Enna,  the  lady  of  Tigenna, 

14.  in  the  mountain  he  loved, 

15.  a  female  fashioned?  of  her  mother  in  her  like- 
ness, 

16.  the  goddess  of  perfumes  a  female  fashioned? 
of  her  mother  in  her  likeness 

17.  Her  appearance  was  like  bright  ukni  stone, 

18.  her  girdle  was  adorned  with  silver  and  gold, 

19.  brightness  was  fixed  in  ...  . 

20.  brightness  was  set  in  ...  . 

Many  lines  lost  here,  the  story  recommences  on 
reverse. 

1 the  crown  he  placed  on  his  head  « 

2.  from  the  nest  of  the  divine  Zu  bird  he  came. 


This  Zu  bird  I  suppose  to  be  the  same  as  the  god 
Zu  of  the  inscriptions,  his  nature  is  shown  by  a  pas- 
sage in  the  annals  of  Assurnazirpal  ("  Cuneiform  In- 
scriptions," vol  i.  p.  22,  col.  ii.  1.  107),  where  he 
says  his  warriors  "  like  the  divine  zu  bhd  upon  them 
darted."  This  bird  is  called  the  cloud  or  storm  bird, 
the  flesh  eating  bu'd,  the  lion  or  giant  bird,  the  bird 
of  prey,  the  bird  with  sharp  beak,  and  it  evidently 
indicates  some  ravenous  bird  wliich  was  deified  by  the 


THE    SIN    OF    THE    GOD    ZTJ.  121 

Babylonians.  Some  excellent  remarks  on  the  nature 
of  this  bird  are  given  by  Delitzsch  in  his  "  Assyrische 
studien,"  pp.  96,  116. 

In  the  legend  of  Sarturda  it  is  said  that  he  changed 
into  a  Zu  bird.  Sarturda  which  may  be  explained 
"the  young  king"  was  lord  of  the  city  of  Amarda 
or  Marad,  and  he  is  said  to  have  been  the  deity  vv^or- 
shipped  by  Izdubar. 

The  Zu  of  the  legend,  who  offends  against  Bel,  I 
suppose  to  be  the  same  as  the  divine  bird  of  prey 
mentioned  in  the  other  inscriptions,  otherwise  we 
have  no  mention  in  any  other  inscription  of  this  per- 
sonage. 

In  the  story  of  the  offence  of  Zu  there  is  another 
instance  of  the  variations  which  constantly  occur  in 
the  Assyrian  inscriptions  with  respect  to  the  relation- 
ship of  the  gods.  Nebo  is  usually  called  son  of 
Merodach,  but  in  this  inscription  he  is '  called  son  of 
Anu. 

In  my  translation  of  the  legend  on  K  3454,  the  sin 
of  Zu  is  very  obscure,  and  I  am  quite  unable  to  see 
through  the  allusions  in  tlie  text;  but  it  is  quite 
evident  that  his  sin  was  considered  to  be  great,  as  it 
raises  the  anger  of  Bel,  and  causes  Anu  to  call  on  his 
sons  in  succession  to  slay  Zu ;  while  the  sons  of  the 
god  Anu  request  that  he  may  be  expelled  from  the 
company  of  the  gods. 

The  second  legend,  in  which  the  god  Sarturda 
changes  into  a  Zu  bird,  is  as  obscure  as  the  first,  there 
being  also  in  this  doubtful  words  and  mutilated  pas- 


122  THE    SIN    OF    THE    GOD    ZU. 

sages.  Sarturda,  although  a  celebrated  god  in  early 
times,  is  seldom  mentioned  in  the  later  inscriptions, 
and  there  is  no  information  anywhere  as  to  the  females 
or  goddesses  mentioned  in  the  legend.  The  idea  of 
the  gods  sometimes  changing  themselves  into  animals 
was  not  uncommon  in  early  times. 

The  explanation  of  these  legends  must  be  left  until 
the  meanings  of  several  words  in  them  are  better 
known. 


Chapter  VIII. 

THE  EXPLOITS   OP  LUBARA. 

Lubara. — God  of  Pestilence.  —  Itak. — The  Plagne. — Seven 
warrior  gods. — Destruction  of  people. — Ann.  —  Goddess  of 
Karrak. — Speech  of  Elu, — Sin  and  destruction  of  Babylonians. 
— Shamas. — Sin  and  destruction  of  Erech. — Ishtar. — The  great 
god  and  Duran. — Cutha. — Internal  wars. — Itak  goes  to  Syria. — 
Power  and  glory  of  Lubara. — Song  of  Lubara. — Blessings  on  hia 
worship. — God  Ner. — Prayer  to  arrest  the  Plague. 

^p^^^HE  tablets  recording  this  story  (which  I 
formerly  called  the  "  war  of  the  gods  ") 
are  five  in  number,  but  I  have  only  dis- 
covered a  few  fragments  of  them.  From 
the  indications  presented  by  these  fragments  I  be- 
lieve the  first  foiu'  tablets  had  each  four  columns 
of  writing,  and  the  fifth  tablet  was  a  smaller  one  of 
two  columns  to  contain  the  remainder  of  the  story. 

The  god  whose  exploits  are  principally  recorded 
bears  a  name  which  I  read  with  much  hesitation 
as  Lubara  or  Dabara  and  whom  I  conjecture  on 
some  doubtful  grounds  to  be  a  form  of  the  god 
Ninip. 


124  THE    EXPLOITS    OF    LUBABA. 

The  passages  I  have  given  in  my  "  History  of 
Assurbanipal"  and  in  "Assyrian  Discoveries,"  pp.  339, 
340,  343,  serve  to  show  that  this  deity  was  the  god 
of  pestilence,  or  the  personification  of  the  plague, 
and  the  passage  in  the  Deluge  table  ("  Assyrian  Dis- 
coveries," p.  192,  1.  20),  shows  this  name  with  the 
same  meaning. 

My  reading  Lubara  is  taken  from  the  passage, 
*'  Cuneiform  Inscriptions,"  vol.  ii.  p.  25,  1.  13. 

Lubara  has  a  companion  deity  named  Itak  who 
marches  before  him,  and  seven  gods  who  follow  him 
in  his  destructive  course. 

The  point  of  the  story  in  these  tablets  appears  to 
be,  that  the  people  of  the  world  had  offended  Anu 
god  of  heaven,  and  that  deity  ordered  Lubara  to  go 
forth  and  strike  the  people  with  the  pest.  It  is 
evident  here  that  exactly  the  same  views  prevailed 
in  Babylonia  as  those  among  the  Jews,  visitations 
from  pestilence  or  famine  being  always  supposed  to 
be  sent  by  the  deity  in  punishment  for  some  sin. 

The  whole  of  this  series  of  tablets  may  be  described 
as  a  poetical  picture  of  the  destruction  caused  by  a 
plague,  sweeping  over  district  after  district,  and  de- 
stroying everything  before  it. 

The  fragment  which  appears  to  me  to  come  first  in 
the  series  is  a  very  mutilated  portion  of  a  tablet,  con- 
taining parts  of  three  columns  of  writing.  Only  a 
fragment  of  the  first  column  is  perfect  enough  to 
translate,  and  the  characters  on  this  are  so  worn 
that  the  translation  cannot  be  other  than  doubtful.  It 
appears  to  eadr 


TEE   EXPLOITS    OF    LJIBAEA.  125 

1.  to  capture  he  was  turned  .... 

2.  the  fifth  tune  ....  above  and  below  seeldno: 

3.  seven  I?  say?  strengthened  .... 

4.  the  words  of  the  account  of  the  seven  gods  all 
of  them  Anu  heard  and 

5.  he  said?  to  them  also  to  Lubara  the  warrior  of 
the  gods  may  thy  hand  move 

6.  like  of  the  people  of  the  nations  their  pit  .... 
he  will  strike 

7.  set  thy  heart  also  to  make  a  destruction 

8.  the  people  of  the  dark  races  to  ruin  thou  shalt 
strike  with  the  desolation  of  the  god  Xer 

9.  and  thy  weapon  against  their  swords  may  thy 
hand  move 

10.  slay  them  and  cast  down  their  weapons. 

11.  He  said  to  Lubara  do  thou  go  and 

12.  thy  ....  like  an  old  man,  thy  son  name? 
afterwards? 

13.  like  a  slaughter  in  the  house,  name  in  the 
house, 

14.  against  the  seat  devised  .... 

15.  like  in  war  not  .... 

This  passage  ai:)pears  to  describe  the  forthcoming 
destruction,  the  god  Anu  commanding  the  slaughter. 

The  next  fragment  is  of  a  different  character,  but 
appears  from  its  style  to  belong  to  this  series. 

1 he  ...  . 

2.  .  .  spake  to  him  and  he  ...  . 

3.  .  .  spake  to  him  and  he  learned?  .... 

4.  Anu  at  the  doing  of  Hea  .  . 


126  THE    EXPLOITS    OF   LUBABA. 

5.  the  gods  of  heaven  and  earth  all  there  were  who 
thus  answered 

6.  his  will  which  was  like  the  will  of  Anu  who  .  .  . 
7 extending  from  the  horizon  of  heaven  to 

the  top  of  heaven 

8 looked  and  his  fear  he  saw 

9 Anu  who  hand?  over  him  ....  made 

10 of  Hea  his  calamity  made 

11 strong  to  later  days  to  ...  . 

12 sin  of  mankind 

13 triumphantly  the  net  .  .  he  broke 

14 to  heaven  he  ascended,  she  thus 

15 4,021  people  he  placed 

16 the  illness  which  was  on  the  body  of 

the  people  he  placed 

17 the  illness  the  goddess  of  Karrak  made 

to  cease 

The  next  portion  of  the  legend  is  a  considerable 
part  of  one  of  the  tablets,  probably  the  fourth,  all 
four  columns  of  writing  being  represented.  There 
are  many  curious  points  in  this  tablet,  beside  the 
special  purpose  of  the  legend,  such  as  the  peoples 
enumerated  in  the  fourth  column,  the  action  of  the 
gods  of  the  various  cities,  &c. 


Column  I. 

1 his  .  .  thou  dost  not  sweep  away 

2 thou  turnest  his  troop 

3 dwelhng 


••> 


TEE   EXPLOITS    OF    LJJBAEA.  127 

4 thou  enterest  within  it 

5 thou  callest,  like  a  tent 

6 an  appointment  has  not 

7 thy  ...  he  gathers 

8 he  draws  out  his  sword 

9 he  fills  his  bow 

10 war  is  made 

11 like  a  bird  he  flies 

12 and  he  seeks 

13 he  destroys 

14 great  curse 

15 strike  their  hands 

16 the  fire 

17 taken 

18.  Elu  his  fierceness?  covered?  and 

19.  in  his  heart  he  said: 

20.  Lubara  is  couching  at  his  gate,  over  the  corpses 
of  chiefs  and  slaves 

21.  thou  placest  his  seat. 

22.  The  wicked  Babylonians  watched  it  and 

23.  thou  art  their  curse. 

24.  To  the  floor  thou  tramplest  them  and  thou 
didst  break  through  .... 

25.  Warrior  Lubara. 

26.  Thou  leavest  also  the  land,  thou  goest  out  to 
another 

27 thou  destroyest  the  land,  thou  enterest 

the  palace. 

28.  The  people  see  thee  and  they  reach  their 
weapons. 


128  TEE   EXPLOITS    OF    LUBABA. 

29.  The  high  priest  the  avenger  of  Babylon  hardens 
his  heart, 

30.  like  the  spoiling  of  enemies  to  spoil  he  sends 
forth  his  soldiers. 

31.  Before   the  face  of  the  people  they  do  evil 
violently. 

32.  To  that  city  I  send  thee,  thou  man 

S3,  shalt  not  fear,  do  not  tremble  at  a  man. 
34.  Small  and  great  at  once  cast  down  and 

35 of  evil  leaving  fear?  thou  dost  not  save 

any  one. 

36.  The  collection  of  the  goods  of  Babylon  thou 
spoilest, 

37.  the  people  the  king  gathers,  and  enters  the 
city, 

38.  shaking  the  bow,  raising  the  sword 

39.  of  the  people  spoiled  who  are  punished   by 
Anu  and  Dagon. 

40.  Their  swords  thou  takest, 

41.  their  corpses  like  the  pouring  down  of  rain 
thou  dost  cast  down  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city, 

42.  and  their  treasures  thou  openest,   thou  dost 
sweep  into  the  river. 

43.  The   great   lord   Merodach   saw  and   angrily 
spoke, 

44.  in  his  heart  he  resolved, 

45.  on  an  unsparing  curse  his  face  is  set, 
46 of  the  river  fled  not  .... 


THE    EXPLOITS    OF    LUBAEA.  129 

Column  II. 
Many  lines  lost. 
-  1 of  the  lord  of  the  earth  .  .  . 

2.  a  deluge  he  did  not  make  .... 

3.  Against  Shamas  his  tower  thou  destroyest  thou 
dost  cast  .... 

4.  Of  Erech  the  seat  of  Anu  and  Ishtar 

5.  the  city  of  the  ladies,  Samhati  and  Harimati, 

6.  of  Ishtar.     Death  they  fear  they  are  delivered 
into  ihy  hands. 

7.  The  Suti  with  the  Suti  are  placed  in   ...  . 

8.  slay  the  house  of  heaven,  the  priests,  the  festival 
makers, 

9.  who  to  make  the  people  of  Ishtar  fear,  their 
manhood  turn  to  ...   . 

10.  carrying  swords,   carrying   naklabi^  dupe^  and 
zurri 

11.  who  to  raise  the  spirit  of  Ishtar  trust  .... 

12.  the  high  priest,  hardened,  bows  his  face  over  , 
them  day  and  night? 

13.  Their  foundations,  their  countenance  turn  .... 

14.  Ishtar  is  angry  and  troubled  over  the  city  of 
Erech, 

15.  the  enemies  she  strikes  and  like  corn  on  the 
waters  she  scatters. 

16.  Dwelling  in  his  ....  Parra  .... 

17.  he  does  not  lead  the  expedition? 

18.  The   enemies  whom  thou  destroyest   do  not 
return  to  ...  . 

K 


130  THE    EXPLOITS    OF    LUSAKA. 

19.  The  great  god  answered  the  speech 

20.  The  city  of  Duran  to  blood  .... 

21.  the  people  who  are  in  the  midst  of  it  like 
reeds  are  trembling 

22.  like  sick?  before  the  waters  their  pit  ...  . 

23.  and  of  me  thou  dost  not  leave  me 

24.  to  the  Suti 

25.  I  in  my  city  Duran  judge  uprightly 

26.  I  do  not 

27.  evil?     I  do  not  give  and  .... 

28.  the  upright  people  I  leave  .... 

29.  a  fire  is  fixed  ... 
Four  other  broken  lines. 

Column  III. 

Many  lines  lost. 

1 swear  and  the  house  .... 

2 country  and  father  .... 

3 foundation  and  fixed  .... 

4 house  built  now  .... 

5.  this  all  and  the  portion  .... 

6.  the  day  he  brought  me  fate  I  .  .  .  . 

7.  him,  his  seat  also  he  lays  waste?  .... 

8.  Afterwards  may  he  waste  to  another  .... 

9.  The  wan'ior  Lubara,  the  just  also  of  Kutha? 

10.  and  the  unjust  also  of  Kutha, 

11.  who  sin  against  thee  also  in  Kutha, 

12.  who  do  not  sin  against  thee  also  in  Kutha, 
13 of  the  god  of  Kutha, 

14 head  of  the  king  of  Kutha? 

Two  other  mutilated  lines. 


TEE   EXPLOITS    OF    LTJBABA.  131 

Column  IV. 

1.  The  planet  Jupiter  fearing  and  .... 

2.  to  his  might  .... 

3.  not  rejoicing  .... 

4.  who  the  side  carried  him,  destroyed  .... 

5.  to  the  seat  of  the  king  of  the  gods  may  he 
send  and  .... 

6.  The  warrior  Lubara  heard  also 

7.  the  words  Itak  spoke  to  him  then  .... 

8.  and  thus  spake  the  warrior  Lubara : 

9.  The  sea  coast  with  the  sea  coast,  Subarta  with 
Subarta,  Assyrian  with  Assyrian. 

10.  Elamite  with  Elamite 

11.  Cossean  with  Cossean 

12.  Sutu  with  Sutu 

13.  Goim  with  Goim 

14.  Lulubu  with  Lulubu 

15.  Country  with  country,  house  with  house,  man 
with  man, 

16.  brother   with  brother,  in   the    country   close 
together,  and  may  they  destroy  each  other, 

17.  and   afterwards    may    the   people   of    Akkad 
increase,  and 

18.  the  whole  of  them  may  they  destroy,  and  fight 
against  them. 

19.  The  warrior  Lubara  to  Itak  who  goes  before 
him  a  word  spake  : 

20.  Go  also  Itak,  in  the  word  thou  hast  spoken  do 
according  to  all  thy  heart. 

21.  Itak  to  the  land  of  Syria  set  his  face, 


132  THE    EXPLOITS    OF    LUBAEA. 

22.  and  the  seven  warrior  gods  unequalled 

23.  marched  after  him. 

24.  To  the  country  of  Syria  the  warrior  went, 

25.  his  hand  he  also  lifted  and  destroyed  the  land, 

26.  the  land  of  Syria  he  took  for  his  country, 

27.  the  forests  of  people  ....  he  broke  through 
the  ranks? 

28 like  .... 

The  next  fragments  of  the  story  are  on  a  muti- 
lated copy  of  the  last  tablet,  K  1282.  This  tablet,  as 
I  have  before  stated,  is  only  a  smaller  supplemental 
one  to  include  the  end  of  the  story,  which  could  not 
be  written  on  the  fourth  tablet. 

K.  1282. 

Obverse. 

1.  When  Lubara  .... 

2.  the  gods  all  of  them  .... 

3.  the  angels  and  spirits  all  ...  . 

4.  Lubara  his  mouth  opened  and  .... 

5.  shake  also  the  whole  of  you  .... 

6.  I  am  placed?  and  in  the  first  sin  ...  . 

7.  my  heart  is  angry  and  .... 

8.  like  a  flock  of  sheep  may  .... 

9.  against  the  setting  up  of  boundaries  .... 

10.  like  spoiling  the  country  right  and  .... 

11.  in  the  mouth  of  a  dog  noble? 

12.  and  the  place  .... 
Fifteen  lines  much  broken  here. 

28 the  land  of  Akkad  its  strength  .... 


THE    EXPLOITS    OF    LUBAEA.  133 

29.  one  of  thy  seven  chiefs  like  .... 

30.  his   cities   to   ruins   and    mounds    thou   dost 
reduce  .... 

31.  his  great  spoil  thou  dost  spoil,  to  the  midst 
of  ...  . 

32.  the  gods  of  the  country  strong  thou  removest 
afar  off  ...  . 

33.  the  god  Ner  and  .... 

34.  the  productions  of  the  countries  .... 

35.  within  it  they  gather  .... 
Four  mutilated  lines  here. 

Reverse. 

1.  For   years   untold   the    glory    of    the   great 
lord  .... 

2.  When  Lubara  was  angry  also  to  sweep  the 
countries  .... 

3.  he  set  his  face 

4.  Itak  his  adviser  quieted  him  and  stayed  .... 

6.  collecting  his  ....  to  the  mighty  one  of  the 
gods,  Merodach  son  of  ...  . 

7.  in  the  commencement  of  the  night  he   sent 
him,  and  like  in  the  year  .... 

8.  Not  any  one  .... 

9 and  went  not  down  against  .... 

10.  his  ....  also  Lubara  received  and  before  .... 

11 Itak  went  before  him  rejoicing  .... 

12 all  of  them  placed  with  him. 

13.  Any  one    who    shall    speak    of    the   warrior 
Lubara 


134  TEE    EXPLOITS    OF    LUBAEA. 

14.  and  that  song  shall  glorify;  in  his  place,  thou 
wilt  guard  continually  .... 

15 cover  and  may  he  not  fall?  .... 

16.  his  name  shall  be  proclaimed  over  the  world. 

17.  Whoever  my  heroism  shall  recount, 

18.  an  adversary  may  he  not  meet. 

19.  The  prophet  who  shall  cry  it  out,  shall  not  die 
by  the  chastisement ; 

20.  higher  than  king  and  prince  he  shall  raise  his 
people. 

21.  The  tablet  writer  who  studies  it  and  flees  from 
the  wicked,  shall  be  great  in  the  land. 

22.  In  the  places  of  the   people  the  established 
places,  my  name  they  proclaim, 

23.  their  ears  I  open. 

24.  In  the  house  the  place  where  their  goods  are 
placed,  when  Lubara  is  angry 

25.  may  the  seven  gods  turn  him  aside, 

26.  may  the  chastising  sword  not  touch  him  whose 
face  thou  establishest. 

27.  That  song  for  ever  may  they  establish  and  may 
they  fix  the  part  .... 

28.  the  countries  all  of  them  may  they  hear,  and 
glorify  my  heroism ; 

29.  the  people  of  all  the  cities  may  they  see,  and 
exalt  my  name. 

Fifth  tablet  of  the  exploits  of  ...  . 
Here  we  see  a  picture  of  Oriental  feeling  with 
reference  to  natural  phenomenon  or  disaster  to  man- 


THE    EXPLOITS    OF    LUBABA.  135 

kind.  It  is  supposed  that  some  deity  or  angel  stands 
with  a  sword  over  the  devoted  people  and  sweeps 
them  into  eternity. 

What  these  Babylonians  had  been  guilty  of  the 
record  is  not  perfect  enough  to  show.  The  first 
frao-ment  shows  the  anp-er  of  Anu  at  their  sin  or 
supposed  sin  and  his  command  to  Lubara  to  take  his 
weapon,  slay  the  people,  and  desolate  the  land  like 
the  God  Ner.  This  god  Ner  was  a  legendary  being 
beheved  in  at  the  time  of  Izdubar,  who  is  mentioned 
as  having  a  terrible  name  and  being  with  Etana  a 
dweller  in  Hades. 

The  next  frasfment  exhibits  the  a:oddess  of  Karrak 
as  heaUng  the  illness  of  some  of  the  people,  4102  being 
mentioned  as  struck  with  disease. 

In  the  next  and  largest  fragment  the  story  becomes 
a  little  more  connected,  it  commences  with  a  descrip- 
tion of  preparation  for  battle,  and  goes  on  through 
speeches  and  actions  to  describe  the  course  of  Lubara 
and  his  plague  over  Babylon,  where  he  spares  neither 
chief  nor  slave,  and  enters  even  the  palace.  It  is 
supposed  in  lines  29-31  that  the  sin  of  the  Babylo- 
nians arose  from  the  chief  priest  or  governor  of  the 
city  arming  the  troops  and  sending  them  out  to 
plunder  the  people.  For  this  the  plague  is  sent,  and 
its  progress  is  graphically  described.  The  next  city 
visited  belongs  to  Shamas,  being  either  Larsa,  or 
Sippara,  and  then  the  plague  reaches  Erech.  The 
character  of  this  city  is  described,  the  Venus  worship, 
the  women  of  pleasure  Sumhati  and  llarimati,  the 


136  TRB    EXPLOITS    OF    LUBAEA. 

priests  and  ceremonies,  and  the  progress  of  the 
plague  over  the  place.  Then  the  great  god  the  deity 
of  Duran  comes  forward  and  pleads  for  his  city, 
calling  to  mind  its  uprightness  and  justice,  and 
praying  its  exemption  from  the  plague. 

Cutha  is  next  mentioned  in  the  obscure  third 
column,  and  then  the  fourth  column  describes  a 
prophecy  of  Lubara  that  there  should  be  internal  war 
among  the  Mesopotamian  peoples  of  the  sea-coast, 
Subarti,  Assyrians,  Elamites,  Cosseans,  Guti,  Goim, 
and  Lulubu,  from  all  which  troubles  benefit  should 
come  to  the  Akkadians  or  upper  Babylonians. 

Then  according  to  his  wish  Lubara  sends  Itak  his 
servant,  with  the  seven  warrior  gods  to  destroy 
Syria,  and  Itak  sweeps  over  the  country  and  de- 
stroys it. 

The  last  tablet  deals  in  generalities  pointing  out 
the  action  of  Lubara  when  his  praise  was  neglected, 
and  telling  all  the  glories  and  good  that  should  come 
to  those  who  should  spread  a  song  in  honour  of  this 
deity.  On  the  spread  of  a  plague  it  is  evident  that 
the  Babylonians  had  no  better  means  of  arresting  it 
than  to  pray  and  praise  the  supposed  terrible  deity 
of  the  scourge,  that  he  might  sheathe  his  sword  of 
anger. 


Chapter  IX. 

BABYLONIAN   FABLES. 

Fables. — Common  in  the  East.  —  Description.  —  Power  of 
speech  in  animals. — Story  of  the  eagle. — Serpent. — Shamas. — 
The  eagle  caught. — Eats  the  serpent. — Anger  of  birds. — Etana. 
— Seven  gods. — Third  tablet. — Speech  of  eagle. — Story  of  the 
fox. — His  cunning. — Judgment  of  Shamas. — His  show  of  sorrow. 
— His  punishment. — Speech  of  fox. — Fable  of  the  horse  and  ox. 
— They  consort  together. — Speech  of  the  ox. — His  good  fortune. 
— Contrast  with  the  horse. — Hunting  the  ox. — Speech  of  the 
horse. — Oifers  to  recount  story. — Story  of  Ishtar. — Farther 
tablets. 


jOMBINED  with  these  stories  of  the  gods, 
traditions  of  the  early  history  of  man,  and 
accounts  of  the  Creation,  are  fragments 
of  a  series  in  which  the  various  animals 
speak  and  act.  I  call  these  tablets  "  Fables  "  to  dis- 
tinguish them  from  the  others,  but,  as  many  of  the 
others  are  equally  fabulous  and  very  similar  in  style, 
the  name  must  not  be  taken  to  imply  any  distinctive 
character  in  this  direction.  It  is  probable  that  all 
these  stories  even  in  Babylonia  were  equally  believed 
in  by  the  devout  and  the  ignorant,  treated  as  alle- 


138  BABYLONIAN    FABLES. 

gories  by  the  poets,  and  repudiated  as  fabulous  by 
the  learned.  In  the  "Fables"  or  stories  in  which 
animals  play  prominent  parts,  each  creature  is  en- 
dowed with  the  power  of  speech,  and  this  idea  was 
common  even  in  that  day  in  the  whole  of  Western 
Asia  and  Egypt,  it  is  found  in  various  Egyptian 
stories,  it  occurs  in  Genesis,  where  we  have  a  speaking 
serpent,  in  Numbers  where  Balaam's  ass  reproves  his 
master,  and  in  the  stories  of  Jotham  and  Joash,  where 
the  trees  are  made  to  speak;  again  in  the  Izdubar 
legends,  where  the  trees  answer  Heabani. 

These  legends  so  far  as  I  have  discovered  are  four 
in  number. 

The  first  contained  at  least  four  tablets  each  having 
four  columns  of  writing.  Two  of  the  acting  animals 
in  it  are  the  eagle  and  the  serpent. 

The  second  is  similar  in  character,  the  leading 
animal  being  the  fox  or  jackal,  there  are  only  four 
fragments,  and  I  have  no  evidence  as  to  the  number 
of  tablets ;  this  may  belong  to  the  same  series  as  the 
fable  of  the  eagle. 

The  third  is  a  single  tablet  with  two  columns  of 
writing,  it  is  a  discussion  between  the  horse  and  ox. 

The  fourth  is  a  single  fragment  in  which  a  calf 
speaks,  but  there  is  nothing  to  show  the  nature  of 
the  story. 

I.  The  Stoky  oe  the  Eagle. 
This  story  appears  to   be  the  longest  and   most 
curious   of  these    legends,  but   the  very   miitilated 
condition  of  the  various   fragments   gives  as  usual 


BABYLONIAN    FABLES.  139 

considerable  difficulty  in  attempting  an  explanation. 
One  of  the  actors  in  the  stor}^  is  an  ancient  monarch 
named  Etana  who  is  mentioned  as  already  dead,  and 
as  being  an  inhabitant  of  the  infernal  regions  in  the 
time  of  Izdubar. 

I  am  nnable  to  ascertain  the  order  of  the  fragments 
of  these  legends  and  must  translate  them  as  they  come. 

K  2527. 
Many  lines  lost  at  commencement. 

1.  The  serpent  in  .  .  . 

2.  I  give  command  ? 

3.  to  the  eagle 

4.  Again  the  nest 

5.  my  nest  I  leave 

6.  the  assembly  ?  of  my  people 

7.  I  go  down  and  enter  ? 

8.  the  sentence  which  Shamas  has  pronounced  on 
me 

9.  I  feel  ?  Shamas  thy  sight  ?  in  the  earth  .... 

10.  thy  stroke?  this  .... 

11.  in  thy  sight?  let  me  not  .... 

12.  doing  evil  the  goddess  Bau  (Gula)  was  .... 

13.  The  sorrow  of  the  serpent  [shamas  saw  and] 

14.  Shamas  opened  his  mouth  and  word  he  spoke 
to  ...  . 

15.  Go  the  way        pass  .... 

16.  I  cut  thee  off?  .... 

17.  open  also  his  heart  .... 
18 he  placed  .... 

19 birds  of  heaven      .  .  . 


UQ  BABYLONIAN    FABLES. 

Reverse. 

1.  The  eagle  with  them  .... 

2.  the  god?  knew  .... 

3.  to  enter  to  the  food  he  sought  .... 

4.  to  cover  the  .... 

5.  to  the  midst  at  his  entering  .... 

6.  enclosed  the  feathers  of  his  wings  .... 

7.  his  claws  ?  and  his  pinions  to  ...  . 

8.  dying  of  hunger  and  thirst  .... 

9.  at  the  work  of  Shamas  the  warrior,  the  ser- 
pent .... 

10.  he  took  also  the  serpent  to  .  .  . 

11.  he  opened  also  his  heart  .... 

12.  seat  he  placed      .  .  . 

13.  the  anger  of  the  birds  of  heaven  .... 

14.  May  the  eagle  .... 

15.  with  the  young  of  the  birds  .... 

16.  The  eagle  opened  his  mouth  .... 
Five  other  mutilated  lines. 

On    another    fragment    are    the     following    few 
words : — 

Obverse. 

1 issu  to  him  also  .... 

2 god  my  father  .... 

3.  like  Etana  kill  thee  .... 

4.  like  me  .... 

5.  Etana  the  king  .  .  ,  , 

6.  took  him  .... 

Reverse. 
1.  Within  the  gate  of  Anu,  Elu  .  .  ,  • 


BABYLONIAN    FABLES.  141 

2.  we  will  fix  ...  . 

3.  within  the  gate  of  sin,  Shamas,  Vul  and  .... 

4.  ....  I  opened  .... 
5 I  sweep  .... 

6 in  the  midst  .... 

7.  the  king  .... 

8.  turned?  and  .... 

9.  I  cover  the  throne  .... 

10.  I  take  also  .... 

11.  and  greatly  I  break  .... 

12.  The  eagle  to  him  also  to  Etana  .... 

13.  I  fear  the  serpent?  .... 

14.  the  course  do  thou  fix  for  me  .... 
15 make  me  great  .... 

The  next  fragment,  K  2606,  is  curious,  as  con- 
taining an  account  of  some  early  legendary  story 
in  Babylonian  history.  This  tablet  formed  the  third 
in  the  series,  and  from  it  we  gain  part  of  the  title  of 
the  tablets. 

K  2606. 

1 placed  .... 

2 back  bone  .... 

3.  this  ....  placed  .... 

4 fixed  its  brickwork  .... 

5 to  the  government  of  them  .... 

6.  Etana  he  gave  them  .... 

7 sword  .... 

8.  the  seven  spirits  .... 

9 they  took  their  counsel  .... 


142  BABYLONIAN    FABLES. 

10 placed  in  the  country  .... 

11 all  of  them  the  angels  .... 

12 they  .... 

13.  In  those  days  also  .... 

14.  and  a  sceptre  of  ukni  stone  .... 

15.  to  rule  the  country  .... 

16.  the  seven  gods  over  the  people  they  raised .... 

17.  over  the  cities  they  raised  .... 

18.  the  city  of  the  angels  Surippak? 

19.  Ishtar  to  the  neighbourhood  to  ...  . 

20.  and  the  king  flew  .... 

21.  Inninna  to  the  neighbourhood  .... 

22.  and  the  king  flew  .... 

23.  Elu  encircled  the  sanctuary  of  ...  . 

24.  he  sought  also  .... 

25.  in  the  wide  country  .... 

26.  the  kingdom  .... 

27.  he  took  and 

28.  the  gods  of  the  country 

Reverse. 
Many  lines  lost. 

1.  from  of  old  he  caused  to  wait  .... 

2.  Third  tablet  of  "  The  city  they  .... 

3.  The  eagle  his  mouth  opened  and  to  Shamas 
his  lord  he  spake 

The  next  fragment  is  a  small  portion  probably  of 
the  fourth  tablet. 

1.  The  eagle  his  mouth  opened  .... 


BABYLONIAN    FABLES.  143 

2 

3.  the  people  of  the  birds  .... 
4 

5.  angrily  he  spake  .... 

6.  angrily  I  speak  .... 

7.  in  the  mouth  of  Shamas  the  "warrior  .... 

8.  the  people  of  the  birds  .... 

9.  The  eagle  his  mouth  opened  and  .... 

10.  Why  comest  thou  .... 

11.  Etana  his  mouth  opened  and  .... 

12.  speech?  ....  he  ...  . 

Such  are  the  principal  fragments  of  this  curious 
legend.  According  to  the  fragment  K  2527,  the 
serpent  had  committed  some  sin  for  which  it  was 
condemned  by  the  god  Shamas  to  be  eaten  by  the 
eagle ;  but  the  eagle  declined  the  repast. 

After  this,  some  one,  whose  name  is  lost,  baits  a 
trap  for  the  eagle,  and  the  bird  going  to  get  the 
meat,  falls  into  the  trap  and  is  caught.  Now  the 
eagle  is  left,  until  dying  for  want  of  food  it  is  glad 
to  eat  the  serpent,  which  it  takes  and  tares  open. 
The  other  birds  then  take  offence,  and  desire  that 
the  eao^le  should  be  excluded  from  their  ranks. 

ID 

The  other  fragments  concern  the  building  of  some 
city,  Etana  being  king,  and  in  these  relations  the 
eagle  again  appears,  there  are  seven  spirits  or  angels 
2)rincipal  actors  in  the  matter,  but  the  Avhole  story  is 
obscure  at  present,  and  a  connected  plot  cannot  be 
made  out. 

This  fable  has  evidently  some  direct  connection 


lU  BABYLONIAN    FABLES. 

with  the  mythical  history  of  Babylonia,  for  Etana  is 
mentioned  as  an  ancient  Babylonian  monarch  in  the 
Izdubar  legends.  His  memory  was  cherished  as 
belongins:  to  one  of  the  terrible  monarchs  who  were 
inhabiting  Hades,  probably  on  account  of  their  deeds. 


11.     bTORY   OF    THE    FoX. 

The  next  fable,  that  of  the  fox,  is  perhaps  part  of 
the  same  story,  the  fragments  are  so  disconnected 
that  they  must  be  given  without  any  attempt  at  ar- 
rangement. 

K  3641. 
Column  I. 

1.  To  .  .  . 

2.  the  people  .... 

3.  father  .... 

4.  mother  called  .... 

5.  he  had  asked  and  .   .   .  . 

6.  he  had  raised  life  .... 

7.  thou  in  that  day  also  ... 

8.  thou  knowest  enticing  ?  and  cunning,  thou  .... 

9.  of  ...  .  chains,  his  will  he  ...   . 

10.  about  the  rising  of  the  jackal  also  he  sent  me 
let  not  .... 

11.  in  a  firm  command  he  set  my  feet, 

12.  again  by  his  will  is  the  destruction  of  life. 

13.  Shamas  in  thy  sentence,  the  answer  ?  let  him 
not  escape, 


BABYLONIAN-    FABLES.  145 

14.  by  wisdom  and  cunning  let  tlicm  put  to  death 
the  fox. 

15.  The  fox  on  hearing  this,  bowed  his  head  in 
the  presence  of  Shamas  and  wept. 

16.  To  the  powerful  presence  of  Shamas  he  went 
in  his  tears : 

17.  With  this  sentence  0  Shamas  do  not  destroy 
me, 

(Columns  II.  and  III.  lost.) 

Column  IY. 
1.  Go  to  my  forest,  do  not  turn  back  afterwards 

2 shall  not  come  out,  and  the  sun  shall 

not  bje  seen, 

3.  thou,  any  one  shall  not  cut  thee  off  ...  . 

4.  by  the  anger  of  my  heart  and  fierceness  of  my 
face  thou  shalt  fear  before  me, 

5.  may  they  keep  thee  and  I  will  not  .... 

6.  may  they  take  hold  of  thee  and  not  .... 

7.  may  they  bind  thee  and  not  .... 

8.  may  they  fell  thy  limbs  .... 

9.  Then  wept  the  jackal  .... 

10.  he  bowed  his  head  .... 

11.  thou  hast  fixed  .... 

12.  taking  the  .... 
Four  other  mutilated  lines. 

The  next  fragment  has  lost  the  commencements 
and  ends  of  all  the  lines. 

1 carried  in  his  mouth  .... 

2 before  his  ...  . 


146  BABYLONIAN    FABLES. 

3 thou  knowest  wisdom  and  all  ...  . 

4 in  ....  of  the  jackal  it  was  .... 

5 in  the  field  the  fox  .... 

6 was  decided  under  the  ruler  the  .... 

7 all  laying  down  under  him  and  of.  ... 

8 he  ...  .  also  ....  he  fled  .... 

9 9,ngry  command,  and  not  any  one  .... 

10 may  est   thou   become    old  ....  and 

take  .... 

11 in  those  days  also  the  fox  carried  .... 

12 the  people  he  spoke.    Why  .... 

13 the  dog  is  removed  and  .... 

The  following  fragment  is  in  similar  condition. 

1 The  limbs  not  .... 

2 I  did  not  weave  and  unclothed  J.  am 

not  „  .  .  . 

3 stranger  I  know  .... 

4 I  caught  and  I  surrounded  .... 

5 from   of  old    also    the    dog   was    my 

brother  .... 

6 he  begot  me,  a  good  place  .... 

7 of  the  city  of  Nisin  1  of  Bel  .... 

8 limbs  and  the  bodies  did  not  stand .  .  . 

9 life  I  did  not  end  .... 

10 brought  up  ....  me  ...  . 

The  fourth  fragment   contains   only  five   legible 
lines. 

1 was  placed  also  right  and  left  .... 

2 their  ruler  sought 

3 let  it  not  be  ...  . 


BABYLONIAN    FABLES.  147 

4 lie  feared  and  did  not  throw  down  his 

spoil  .  .  . 

5 fox  in  the  forest  .... 

The  last  fragment  is  a  small  scrap,  at  the  end  of 
which  the  fox  petitions  Shamas  to  spare  him. 

The  incidental  allusions  in  these  fragments  show 
that  the  fox  or  jackal  was  even  then  considered  cun- 
ning, and  the  animal  in  the  story  was  evidently  a 
watery  specimen,  as  he  brings  tears  to  his  assistance 
whenever  anything  is  to  be  gained  by  it.  He  had 
offended  Shamas  by  some  means  and  the  god  sen- 
tenced him  to  death,  a  sentence  which  he  escaped 
through  powerful  pleading  on  his  own  behalf. 

III.  Fable  of  the  Horse  and  Ox. 
The  next  fable,  that  of  the  horse  and  the  ox,  is  a 
single  tablet  with  only  two  columns  of  text.  The 
date  of  the  tablet  is  in  the  reign  of  Assurbanipal, 
and  there  is  no  statement  that  it  is  copied  from  an 
earlier  text.  There  are  altogether  four  portions  of 
the  text,  but  only  one  is  perfect  enough  to  be  worth 
translating.  This  largest  fragment,  K  3456,  con- 
tains about  one  third  of  the  story. 

K  3456. 
(Several  lines  lost  at  commencement.) 
1 the  river  .... 

2.  of  food  ....  rest  .... 

3.  height  ....  the  Tigris  situated 


148  BABYLONIAN    FABLES. 

4.  they  ended  ....  was  .... 

5.  in  the  flowers  ....  they  disported   in  the 
floods  ? 

6.  the  high  places  ....  appearance 

7.  the  vallies  ....  the  country 

8.  at  the  appearance  ....  made  the  timid  afraid 

9.  a  boundless  place  ....  he  turned 

10.  in  the  side  .... 

11.  of  the  waste  ....  earth  were  free  within  it 

12.  the  tribes  of  beasts  rejoiced  in  companionship 
and  friendship, 

13.  between  the  ox  and  the  horse  friendship  was 
made, 

14.  they  rejoiced  their  ....  over  the  friendship, 

15.  they  consorted  and  pleased  theii*  hearts,  and 
were  prosperous. 


16.  The  ox  opened  his  mouth,  and  spake  and  said 
to  the  horse  glorious  in  war  : 

17.  I  am  pondering  now  upon  the  good  fortune  at 
my  hand. 

18.  From  the  beginning  of  the  year  to  the  end  of 
the  year  I  ponder  at  my  appearance. 

19.  He  destroyed  abundance  of  food,  he  dried  up 
rivers  of  waters, 

20.  in  the  flowers  he  rolled,  a  carpet  he  made, 

21.  the  vallies  and  springs  he  made  for  his  country, 

22.  the  high  places  he  despised,  he  raged  in  the 
floods, 


BABYLONIAN    FAB  LB  8.  149 

23.  the  sight  of  his  horns  make  the  timid  afraid, 

24.  A  boundless  place  is  portioned  for  his  ...  . 

25.  the  man  ....  learned  ceased  .... 

26.  he  broke  the  ropes  and  waited  .... 

27.  and  the  liorse  will  not  approach  a  child,  and  he 
drives  him  .... 

28.  they  catch  thee  thyself 

29.  he  ascends  also  .... 


Here  the  ox  gives  a  good  picture  of  his  state  and 
enjoyment,  and  looks  with  contempt  on  the  horse 
because  he  is  tamed. 

After  this  comes  a  speech  from  the  horse  to  the 
bull,  the  rest  of  the  tablet  being  occupied  by  speeches 
and  answers  between  the  two  animals.  Most  of  these 
speeches  are  lost  or  only  present  in  small  fragments, 
and  the  story  recommences  on  the  reverse  with  the 
end  of  a  speech  from  the  horse. 

1.  fate  .... 

2.  strong  brass  ?  .  .  .  . 

3.  like  with  a  cloak  I  am  clothed  and  .... 

4.  over  me  any  one  not  suited  .... 

5.  king,    high    priest,   lord   and    prince    do   not 
seek  .... 


G.  The  ox  opened  his  mouth  and  spake  and  said 
to  the  horse  glorious  .... 

7.  I  say  I  am  noble  and  thou  gatherest  .... 

8.  in  thy  fighting  why  .... 


150  BABYLONIAN    FABLES. 

9.  the  lord  of  the  chariot  destroys  me  and  deso- 
lation .... 

10.  in  my  body  I  am  firm  .... 

11.  in  my  inside  I  am  firm  .... 

12.  the  warrior  draws  out  of  his  quiver  .... 

13.  strength  carries  a  curse  .... 

14.  the  weapon  of  my  masters  over  .... 

15.  he  causes  to  see  servitude  like  .... 
16 in  thee  is  not  .... 

17.  he  causes  to  go  on  the  path  over  .... 

18.  The  horse  opened  his  mouth  and  spake  and 
said  to  the  ox  ...  . 

19.  In  my  hearing  .... 

20.  the  weapon  .... 

21.  the  swords  .... 
22 

23.  strength?  of  the  heart  which  does  not  ...  . 

24.  in  crossing  that  river  .... 

25.  in  the  paths  of  thy  country  .... 

26.  I  reveal?  ox  the  story  .... 

27.  in  thy  appearance,  it  is  not  .... 

28.  thy  splendour  is  subdued?  .... 

29.  like  ....  the  horse  .... 

30.  The  ox  opened  his  mouth  and  spake  and  said 
to  the  horse  .... 

31.  Of  the  stories  which  thou  tellest  .... 


BABYLONIAN    FABLES.  151 

32.  open  first  (that  of)  "When  the  noble  Ish- 
tar  .  .   .  . 

(Colophon) 
Palace  of  Assurbanipal,  king  of  nations,  king  .  .  . 

It  appears  from  these  fragments  that  the  story  de- 
scribed a  time  when  the  animals  associated  together, 
and  the  ox  and  horse  fell  into  a  friendly  conversation. 
The  ox,  commencing  the  discussion,  praised  himself; 
the  answer  of  the  horse  is  lost,  but  where  the  story 
recommences  it  appears  that  the  ox  objects  to  the 
horse  drawing  the  chariot  from  which  he  (the  ox)  is 
hunted,  and  the  horse  ultimately  offers  to  tell  the  ox 
a  story,  the  ox  choosing  the  story  called  "  When  the 
noble  Ishtar  ",  probably  some  story  of  the  same  cha- 
racter as  Ishtar's  descent  into  Hades. 

It  is  uncertain  if  any  other  tablet  followed  this ;  it 
is,  however,  probable  that  there  was  one  containing 
the  story  told  by  the  horse.  Although  there  is  no 
indication  to  show  the  date  of  this  fable,  I  should 
thiuk,  by  the  style  and  matter,  it  belonged  to  about 
the  same  date  as  the  other  writings  given  in  this 
volume.  The  loss  of  the  tablet  containing  the  story 
of  Ishtar,  told  by  the  horse  to  the  ox,  is  unfortunate. 
It  is  evident  that  Ishtar  was  a  very  celebrated  god- 
dess, and  her  adventures  formed  the  subject  of  many 
narratives.  Some  of  the  words  and  forms  in  these 
fables  are  exactly  the  same  as  those  used  in  the  Izdu- 
bar  and  Creation  legends,  and  in  all  these  stories  the 


152 


BABYLONIAN    FABLES. 


deity  Shamas  figures  more  prominently  than  is  usual 
in  the  mythology.  The  last  fable  is  a  mere  fragment 
similar  to  the  others,  containing  a  story  in  which 
the  calf  speaks.  There  is  not  enough  of  this  to  make 
it  worth  translation. 


Chapter  X. 

FRAGMENTS   OF  MISCELLANEOUS   TEXTS. 

Atarpi. — Sin  of  the  -world. — Mother  and  daughter  quarrel. — 
Zamu. — Punishment  of  world. — Hea. — Calls  his  sons. — Orders 
drought. — Famine. — Building. —  Nusku.  —  Riddle  of  wise  man. 
— Nature  and  universal  presence  of  air. — Gods. — Sinuri. — 
Divining  by  fracture  of  reed. — Incantation, — Dream. — Tower  of 
Babel. — Obscurity  of  legend. — Not  noticed  by  Berosus. — Frag- 
mentary tablet. — Destruction  of  Tower. — Dispersion. — Locality 
Babylon. — Birs  Nimrud. — Babil. — Assyrian  representations. 


HAVE  included  in  this  chapter  a  num- 
ber of  stories  of  a  similar  character  to 
those  of  Genesis,  but  which  are  not 
directly  connected,  and  a  fragment  re- 
lating to  the  tower  of  Babel.  The  first  and  principal 
text  is  the  story  of  Atarpi,  or  Atarpi-nisi.  This 
story  is  on  a  tablet  in  six  columns,  and  there  is  only 
one  copy.  It  is  very  mutilated,  very  little  being 
preserved  except  Column  III.,  and  there  are  nume- 
rous repetitions  throughout  the  text.  The  inscrip- 
tion has  originally  been  a  long  one,  probably  extend- 
ing to  about  400  lines  of  writing,  the  text  differs 


154  FRAGMENTS    OF 

from  the  generality  of  these  inscriptions,  being  very 
obscure  and  difficult.  In  consequence  of  this  and 
other  reasons,  I  only  give  an  outline  of  most  of  the 
story. 

We  are  first  told  of  a  quarrel  between  a  mother 
and  her  daughter,  and  that  the  mother  shuts  the  door 
of  the  house,  and  turns  her  daughter  adrift.  The 
doings  of  a  man  named  Zamu  have  some  connection 
with  the  affair;  and  at  the  close  we  are  told  of 
Atarpi,  sometimes  called  Atarpi-nisi,  or  Atarpi  the 
"man"  who  had  his  couch  beside  a  river,  and  was 
pious  to  the  gods,  but  took  no  notice  of  these  things. 
Where  the  story  next  opens,  the  god  Elu  or  Bel  calls 
together  an  assembly  of  the  gods  his  sons,  and  relates 
to  them  that  he  is  angry  at  the  sin  of  the  world, 
stating  also  that  he  will  bring  down  upon  them 
disease,  poison,  and  distress.  This  is  followed  by 
the  statement  that  these  things  came  to  pass,  and 
Atarpi  then  invoked  the  god  Hea  to  remove  these 
evils.  He  I  answers,  and  announces  his  resolve  to 
destroy  the  people.     After  this  the  story  reads : 

1.  Hea  called  his  assembly  he  said  to  the  gods  his 
sons 

2 I  made  them 

3.  .  .  .  shall  not  stretch  until  before  he  turns. 

4.  Their  wickedness  I  am  angry  at, 

5.  their  punishment  shall  not  be  small, 

6.  I  will  look  to  judge  the  people, 

7.  in  their  stomach  let  food  be  exhausted, 

8.  above  let  Yul  drink  up  his  rain, 


MISCELLANEOUS    TEXTS.  155 

9.  let  the  lower  regions  be  shut  up,  and  the  floods 
not  be  carried  in  the  streams, 

10.  let  the  ground  be  hardened  which  was  over- 
flown, 

11.  let  the  growth  of  corn  cease,  may  blackness 
overspread  the  fields, 

12.  let  the  plowed  fields  bring  forth  thorns, 

13.  may  the  cultivation  be  broken  up,  food  not  arise 
and  it  not  produce, 

14.  may  distress  be  spread  over  the  people, 

15.  may  favour  be  broken  ofl",  and  good  not  be 


16.  He  looked  also  to  judge  the  people, 

17.  in  their  stomach  food  he  exhausted, 

18.  Above  Vul  drank  up  his  rains, 

19.  the  lower  regions  were  shut  up,  and  floods  not 
carried  in  the  streams, 

20.  The   ground  was   hardened  which  had  been 
overflown, 

21.  the  growth  of  corn  ceased,  blackness  spread 
over  the  fields, 

22.  the  plowed  fields  brought  forth  thorns,  the 
cultivation  was  broken  up, 

23.  food  did  not  rise,  and  it  did  not  produce, 

24.  distress  was  spread  over  the  people, 

25.  favour  was  broken  off,  good  was  not  given. 

This  will  serve  to  show  the  style  of  the  tablet. 
The  instrument    of  punishment    was    apparently   a 


156  FEAGMENTS    OF 

famine  from  want  of  rain,  but  there  are  some  obscure 
words  even  in  this  passage. 

Here  the  story  is  again  lost,  and  where  it  recom- 
mences some  one  is  making  a  speech,  directing 
another  person  to  cut  something  into  portions,  and 
place  seven  on  each  side,  then  to  build  brickwork 
round  them.  After  this  comes  a  single  fragment, 
the  connection  of  which  with  the  former  part  is 
obscure. 

1.  I  curse  the  goddess  .... 

2.  to  her  face  also  .... 

3.  Anu  opened  his  mouth  and  spake  and  said  to 
Nusku 

4.  Nusku  open  thy  gate  thy  weapons  take 

5.  in  the  assembly  of  the  great  gods  the  will?  .... 

6.  their  speech?  .... 

7.  Anu  has  sent  me  ...  . 

8.  your  king  has  sent?  .  .  . 

At  present  no  satisfactory  story  can  be  made  out 
of  the  detached  fragments  of  this  tablet,  but  it 
evidently  belongs  to  the  mythical  portion  of  Baby- 
lonian history. 

The  next  text  is  a  single  fragment,  K  2407,  be- 
longing to  a  curious  story  of  a  wise  man  who  puts  a 
riddle  to  the  gods. 

K  2407. 
(Many  lines  lost.) 

1.  which  in  the  house  is  ...  . 

2.  which  in  the  secret  place  is  ...  • 


MISCELLANEOUS    TEXTS.  157 

3.  which  is  in  the  foundation  of  the  house  .... 

4.  which  on  the  floor?  of  the  house  stands, 
which  .... 

5.  which  in  the  vicinity  .... 

6.  which  by  the  sides  of  the  house  goes  down  .... 

7.  which  in  the  ditch  of  the  house  open,  lays 
down  .... 

8.  which  roars  like  a  bull,  which  brays  like  an  ass, 

9.  which  flutters  like  a  sail,  which  bleats  like  a 
sheep, 

10.  which  barks  hke  a  dog, 

11.  which  growls  hke  a  bear, 

12  which  into  the  breast  of  a  man  enters,  which 
into  the  breast  of  a  woman  enters. 

13.  Sar-nerra  heard  the  word  Avhich  the  wise  son 
of  man 

14.  asked,  and  all  the  gods  he  sent  to : 

15.  Friends  are  ye  I  am  unable  ?  ....  to  you 
After  this  there  is  a  mutilated  passage  containing 

the  names,  titles,  and  actions  of  the  gods  who  con- 
sider the  riddle.  It  is  evident  that  it  is  air  or  wind 
which  the  wise  man  means  in  his  riddle,  for  this  is 
everywhere,  and  in  its  sounds  imitates  the  cries  of 
animals. 

Next  we  have  another  single  fragment  about  a 
person  named  Sinuri,  who  uses  a  divining  rod  to 
ascertain  the  meaning  of  a  dream. 

1.  Sinuri  with  the  cut  reed  pondered  .... 

2.  with  his  right  hand  he  broke  it,  and  Sinuri  spake 
and  thus  said : 


158 


FRAGMENTS    OF 


3.  Now  the  plant  of  Nusku,  shrub  ?  of  Shamas  at 
thou, 

4.  Judge,  thou  judgest  (or  divinest),  divine  con- 
cerning this  dream, 

5.  which  in  the  evening,  at  midnight,  or  in  the 
morning, 

6.  has  come,  which  thou  knowest,  but  I  do  not  know. 

7.  If  it  be  good  may  its  good  not  be  lost  to  me, 

8.  if  it  be  evil  may  its  evil  not  happen  to  me. 
There  are  some  more  obscure  and  broken  lines,  but 

no  indication  as  to  the  story  to  which  it  belongs. 

One  of  the  most  obscure  incidents  in  the  Book  of 
Genesis  is  undoubtedly  the  building  of  the  Tower  of 


Men  engaged  in  Building;    ]  k^m  ij.uiiLOMAN  Cylinder. 


Babel.  So  far  as  we  can  judge  from  the  fragments 
of  his  copyists,  there  was  no  reference  to  it  in  the 
work  of  Berosus,  and  early  writers  had  to  quote  from 
writers  of  more  than  doubtful  authority  in  order  to 
confirm  it. 

There  is  also  no  representation  on  any  of  the 
Babylonian  gems  which  can  mth  any  certainty  be 
described  as  belonging  to  this  story.     I  have,  how- 


MISCELLANEOUS    TEXTS. 


159 


ever,  picked  out  three  from  a  series  of  these  carvings 
which  I  think  may  be  distorted  representations  of 
the  event.  In  these  and  some  others  of  the  same 
sort,  figures  have  their  hands  on  tall  piles,  as  if  erect- 
ing them;  and  there  is  a  god  always  represented 


'"r^      A..      ^Mfl    n       ^ 

■4   -    Xj    ^^-    ^-  -  ^    ^     ^^     A        I 


A 


i  yp 


Men  engaged  in  Buu^ding;  from  Babylonian  Cylinder. 


near,  in  much  the  same  attitude.  There  is  no  i)roi3er 
proportion  between  the  supposed  structure  and  the 
men,  and  I  would  not  urge  more  than  a  possible  con- 
nection with  the  myth.  The  utter  absence  of  any 
allusion  to  the  tower,  either  in  Berosus  or  the  inscrip- 
tions, led  me  to  doubt  at  one  time  if  the  story  ever 
formed  part  of  the  Babylonian  history. 


160  FRAGMENTS    OF 

Early  this  year  I  was  astonished  to  find,  on  having 
one  of  the  Assyrian  fragments  cleaned,  that  it  con- 
tained a  mutilated  account  of  part  of  the  story  of  the 
tower.  I  have  since  searched  through  the  whole  col- 
lection, but  have  been  unable  to  find  any  more  of 
this  tablet,  except  two  minute  fragments  which  add 
nothing  to  the  text. 

It  is  evident  from  the  wording  of  the  fragment  that 
it  was  preceded  by  at  least  one  tablet,  describing  the 
sin  of  the  people  in  building  the  tower.  The  frag- 
ment preserved  belongs  to  a  tablet  containing  from 
four  to  six  columns  of  writing,  of  which  fragments  of 
four  remain.  The  principal  part  is  the  beginning  of 
Column  I. 

Column  I. 

1 them?  the  father  .... 

2 of  him,  his  heart  was  evil, 

3.  .         .  against  the  father  of  all  the  gods  was 
wicked, 

4 of  him,  his  heart  was  evil, 

5 Babylon  brought  to  subjection, 

6.  [small]  and  great  he  confounded  their  speech. 
7 Babylon  brought  to  subjection, 

8.  [small]  and  great  he  confounded  their  speech. 

9.  their  strong  place  (tower)   all  the  day  they 
founded  ; 

10.  to  their  strong  place  in  the  night 

11.  entirely  he  made  an  end. 

12.  In  his  anger  also  word  thus  he  poured  out: 


MISCELLANEOUS    TEXTS. 


IGl 


13.  [to]  scatter  abroad  lie  set  his  face 

14.  he  gave  this?  command,  their  counsel  was 
confused 

15 the  course  he  broke 

16 fixed  the  sanctuary 

There  is  a  small  fragment  of  Column  IL,  but  the 
connection  with  Column  I.  is  not  apparent. 

Column  II. 

1.  Sar-tul-elli  .... 

2.  in  front  carried  Anu  .... 

3.  to  Bel-sara  his  father  .  .  .*, 

4.  like  his  heart  also  ... 

5.  which  carried  wisdom  .... 

6.  In  those  days  also  .... 

7.  he  carried  him  .... 

8.  Nin-kina  .... 

9.  My  son  I  rise  and  .... 

10.  his  number  (?)   .... 

11.  entirely  .... 

There  is  a  third  portion  on  the  same  tablet  be- 
longing to  a  column  on  the  other  side,  either  the 
thu'd  or  the  fifth. 

Reveese  Column  III.  or  Y. 

1.  In  ...   . 

2.  he  blew  and  .... 

3.  for  a  long  time  in  the  cities   .... 

4.  Nunanner  went  .... 

5.  He  said,  like  heaven  and  earth   .    .   . 

M 


/^  0 


162  FRAGMENTS    OF 

6.  that  path  they  went  .... 

7.  fiercely  they  approached  to  the  presence 

8.  he  saw  them  and  the  earth  .... 

9.  of  stoppmg  not  .... 

10.  of  the  gods  .... 

11.  the  gods  looked  .... 

12.  violence  (?)  .... 

1 3.  Bitterly  they  wept  at  Babi  .... 

14.  very  much  they  grieved  .... 

15.  at  their  misfortune  and  .... 


View  of  the  Biks  Nimrud,  the  supposed  site  of  the  Tower  of  Babel. 

These  fragments  are  so  remarkable  that  it  is  most 
unfortunate  we  have  not  the  remainder  of  the  tablet. 

In  the  first  jart  we  have  the  anger  of  the  gods 
at  the  sin  of  the  world,  the  place  mentioned  being 
Babylon.  The  building  or  work  is  called  tazimat  or 
tazimtu,  a  word  meaning  strong,  and  there  is  a 
curious  relation,  lines  9  to  11,  that  what  they  built 
in  the  day  the  god  destroyed  in  the  night. 


MISCELLANEOUS    TEXTS.  163 

The  remainder  of  the  frao-ment  and  the  two  frao-- 
ments  of  the  other  cokimns  agree  with  the  story  as  far 
as  their  mutUated  condition  allows.  The  fractured 
end  of  the  loth  line  of  the  third  fragment  has  the 
beginning  of  a  name  Babi,  which  may  be  completed 
Babil  or  Babel,  but  I  have  not  ventured  on  the  re- 
storation. In  the  case  of  the  6th  and  8th  lines 
of  the  first  fragment  I  have  translated  the  word 
"speech"  with  a  prejudice;  I  have  never  seen  the 

ssyrian  word  with  this  meanmg. 


.^^-^V.-^yf^^^,-' 


View  of  the  Uajjil  Mound  at  Bakvlon,  the  site  of  the 
Temple  of  Bel. 


The  whole  account  is  at  present  so  fragmentary 
that  I  think  it  better  to  make  no  detailed  compa- 
risons until  more  of  the  text  is  obtained.  The 
various  notices  which  have  come  down  to  us  seem 
to  me  to  point  to  the  great  pile  of  Birs  Nimrud, 
near  Babylon,  as  the  site  of  the  tower,  this  opinion 
is  held  by  Sir  Henry  Rawlinson  and  most  other 
authorities  of  weio^ht.    This  ruin  has  been  examined 


164 


FRAGMENTS    OF 


by  Sir  Henry  Rawlinson;  details  of  his  operations 
here  are  given  in  "Jour.  Asiatic  Soc,"  vol.  xviii., 
and  Rawlinson's  "  Ancient  Monarchies,"  p.  544.  Sir 
Henry  discovered  by  excavation  that  the  tower  con- 
sisted of  seven  stages  of  brickwork  on  an  earthen 


Tower  in  Stages,  fkom  an  Assyrian  Bas-kelief. 


platform,  each  stage  being  of  a  different  colour. 
The  temple  was  devoted  to  the  seven  planets ;  the 
height  of  the  earthen  platform  was  not  ascertained, 
the  first  stage,  which  was  an  exact  square,  was 
272  feet  each  way,  and  26  feet  high,  the  bricks 
blackened  with  bitumen;    this  stage  is  supposed  to 


MISCELLANEOUS    TEXTS.  165 

have  been  clevotecl  to  the  planet  Saturn.  The  second 
stage  was  a  square  of  230  feet,  26  feet  high,  faced 
with  orange-coloured  bricks ;  supposed  to  be  devoted 
to  Jupiter.  The  third  stage,  188  feet  square,  and  26 
feet  high,  faced  with  red  bricks,  was  probably  dedi- 
cated to  Mars.  The  fourth  stage,  146  feet  scjuare,  and 
15  feet  high,  was  probably  devoted  to  the  Sun,  and  is 
supposed  by  Sir  H.  Rawlinson  to  have  been  originally 
plated  with  gold.  The  fifth  stage  is  supposed  to  have 
been  104,  the  sixth  62,  and  the  seventh  20  feet  square, 
but  the  top  was  too  ruinous  to  decide  these  measure- 
ments. These  stages  were  probably  devoted  to  Venus, 
Mercury,  and  the  Moon.  Each  stage  of  the  building 
was  not  set  in  the  centre  of  the  stage  on  which  it 
rested,  but  was  placed  30  feet  from  the  front,  and 
12  feet  from  the  back.  The  ruin  at  present  rises 
154  feet  above  the  level  of  the  plain,  and  is  the 
most  imposing  pile  in  the  whole  country.  The 
only  other  ruin  which  has  any  claim  to  represent 
the  tower  is  the  Babil  mound  within  the  enclosure 
of  Babylon,  which  is  the  site  of  the  Temple  of  Bel. 
I  have  given  views  of  both  ruins  as  the  jDOSsible 
alternative  sites. 

In  the  Babylonian  and  Assyrian  sculptures  there 
are  occasionally  representations  of  towers  similar  in 
style  to  the  supposed  Tower  of  Babel;  one  of  these 
is  given  on  the  stone  of  Merodach  Baladan  I.,  oppo- 
site p.  236  of  "  Assyrian  Discoveries;"  another  occurs 
on  the  sculptures  at  Nineveh,  representing  the  city 
of  Babylon ;  this  tower  is  probably  the  Borsippa  pile, 


166  MISCELLANEOUS    TEXTS. 

which  is  supposed  to  represent  the  Tower  of  Babel. 
Birs  Nimrud  now  consists  of  seven  stages,  but  the 
top  stages  were  only  built  by  Nebuchadnezzar ;  before 
his  time  it  probably  presented  the  appearance  shown 
in  the  Assyrian  sculpture,  and  in  the  similar  Baby- 
lonian representation  figured  opposite  page  236  of 
"  Assyrian  Discoveries." 


Chapter  XI. 


THE  IZDUBAR  LEGENDS. 

Account  of  Deluge. — Nimrod. — Izdubar. — Age  of  Legends. — 
Babylonian  cylinders. — ISTotices  of  Izdubar. — Surippak. — Ark 
City. — Twelve  tablets. — Extent  of  Legends. — Description. — In- 
troduction.— Meeting  of  Heabani  and  Izdubar. — Destruction  of 
tyrant  Humbaba. — Adventures  of  Isbtar. — Illness  and  wander- 
ings of  Izdubar. — Description  of  Deluge  and  conclusion. — First 
Tablet. — Kingdom  of  Nimrod. — Traditions. — Identifications. — 
Translation. — Elamite  Conquest. — Dates. 

HESE  legends,  which  I  discovered  in 
1872,  are  principally  of  interest  from 
their  containing  the  Chaldean  account 
of  the  Deluge.  I  have  pubHshed  the 
most  perfect  portions  in  various  forms  since,  the  most 
complete  account  being  in  my  "Assyrian  Discoveries." 
These  legends  have  also  been  commented  upon  by 
M.  Lenormant  in  his  "  Les  Premieres  Civilizations," 
and  by  Mr.  Fox  Talbot  in  the  "  Transactions  of  the 
Society  of  Biblical  Archaiology." 

The  Izdubar  legends  give,  I  believe,  the  history  of 
the  Biblical  hero  Nimrod.  They  record  the  adven- 
tures of  a  famous  sovereign  of  Babylonia  whom  I 
provisionally  call  Izdubar,  but  whose  name  cannot  at 


1G8  THE    IZDUBAB    LEGENDS. 

present  be  phonetically  rendered.  He  appears  to  me 
to  be  the  monarch  who  bears  the  closest  resemblance 
in  his  fame  and  actions  to  the  Nimrod  of  the  Bible. 

Since  the  first  discovery  of  his  history,  very 
little  light  has  been  thrown  on  the  age  and  exploits 
of  Izdubar.  Among  all  the  references  and  allusions 
there  is  nothing  exact  or  satisfactory  to  fix  his  place 
in  the  scheme  of  Babylonian  history.  The  age 
of  the  legends  of  Izdubar  in  their  present  form  is 
unknown,  but  may  fairly  be  placed  about  B.C.  2000. 
As  these  stories  were  traditions  in  the  country  be- 
fore they  were  committed  to  writing,  their  antiquity 
as  traditions  is  probably  much  greater  than  that. 

The  earhest  evidence  we  have  of  these  traditions  is 
in  the  carvings  on  early  Babylonian  cylindrical  seals. 
Among  the  earliest  known  devices  on  these  seals  we 
have  scenes  from  the  legends  of  Izdubar,  and  from 
the  story  of  the  Creation.  These  seals  belong  to  the 
age  of  the  kings  of  Akkad  and  of  Ur,  and  some  of 
them  may  be  older  than  B.C.  2000.  The  principal 
incidents  represented  on  these  seals  are  the  struggles 
of  Izdubar  and  his  comjDanion  Heabani  with  the  lion 
and  the  bull,  the  journey  of  Izdubar  in  search  of 
Hasisadra,  Noah  or  Hasisadra  in  his  ark,  and  the 
war  between  Tiamat  the  sea-dragon  and  the  god 
Merodach.  There  is  a  fragment  of  one  document  in 
the  British  Museum  which  claims  to  be  copied  from 
an  omen  tablet  belonging  to  the  time  of  Izdubar 
himself,  but  it  is  probably  not  earlier  than  B.C.  1600, 
when  many  similar  tablets  were  written. 


THE    IZDUBAB    LEGENDS.  169 

There  is  an  incidental  notice  of  Izclnbar  and  his 
ship,  in  alkision  to  the  story  of  his  wanderings,  in 
the  tablet  printed  in  "Cuneiform  Inscriptions,"  vol.  ii. 
p.  46.  This  tablet,  which  contains  lists  of  wooden 
objects,  was  written  in  the  time  of  Assurbanipal,  but 
is  copied  from  an  original,  which  must  have  been 
written  at  least  eio-hteen  hundred  years  before  the 


yean 


Christian  era.  The  geographical  notices  on  this  tablet 
suit  the  period  between  B.C.  2000  and  1800,  long  be- 
fore the  rise  of  Babylon.  In  this  tablet  Surippak 
is  called  the  ship  or  ark  city,  this  name  forming 
anotiier  reference  to  the  Flood  legends.  Izdubar  is 
also  mentioned  in  a  series  of  tablets  relatino^  to 
witchcraft,  and  on  a  tablet  containing  prayers  to  him 
as  a  god ;  this  last  showing  that  he  was  deified,  an 
honour  also  given  to  several  other  Babylonian  kings. 
The  legends  of  Izdubar  are  inscribed  on  twelve 
tablets,  of  which  there  are  remains  of  at  least  four 
editions.  All  the  tablets  are  in  fragments,  and  none 
of  them  are  complete ;  but  it  is  a  fortunate  circum- 
stance that  the  most  perfect  tablet  is  the  eleventh, 
which  describes  the  Deluge,  this  being  the  most 
important  of  the  series.  In  chapter  i.  I  have 
described  the  successive  steps  in  the  discovery  of 
these  legends,  and  may  now  pass  on  to  the  descrip- 
tion and  translation  of  the  various  fragments.  All 
the  fragments  of  our  present  copies  belong,  as  I 
have  before  stated,  to  the  reign  of  Assurbanipal, 
king  of  Assyria,  in  the  seventh  century  B.C.  From 
the  mutilated  condition  of  many  pf  them  it  is  im- 


170  THE    IZDUBAB    LEGENDS. 

possible  at  present  to  gain  an  accurate  idea  of  the 
whole  scope  of  the  legends,  and  many  parts  which 
are  lost  have  to  be  supplied  by  conjecture,  the 
order  even  of  some  of  the  tablets  cannot  be  deter- 
mined, and  it  is  uncertain  if  we  have  fragments  of 
the  whole  twelve  tablets;  in  my  present  account, 
however,  I  have  conjecturally  divided  the  fragments 
into  groups  corresponding  roughly  with  the  subjects 
of  the  tablets.  Each  tablet  when  complete  contained 
six  columns  of  writing,  and  each  column  had  generally 
from  forty  to  fifty  lines  of  writing,  there  being 
in  all  about  3,000  lines  of  cuneiform  text.  The 
divisions  I  have  adopted  will  be  seen  by  the  following 
summary,  which  exhibits  my  present  knowledge  of 
the  fragments. 

Pai't  I. — Introduction. 

Tablet  I. — Number  of  lines  uncertain,  probably 
about  240.  First  column  initial  line  preserved, 
second  column  lost,  third  column  twenty-six  lines 
preserved,  fourth  column  doubtful  fragment  inserted, 
fifth  and  sixth  columns  lost. 

Probable  subjects:  conquest  of  Babylonia  by  the 
Elamites,  birth  and  parentage  of  Izdubar. 

Part  IT. — 3Ieeting  of  Heabani  and  Izdubar. 
Tablet  II. — Number  of  lines  uncertain,  probably 
about  240.    First  and  second  columns  lost,  third  and 
fourth  columns  about  half  preserved,  fifth  and  sixth 
columns  lost. 


THE    IZDUBAB    LEGENDS.  171 

Tablet  III.— Number  of  lines  about  270.  First 
column  fourteen  lines  preserved,  second,  thii'd,  fourth 
and  fifth  columns  nearly  perfect,  sixth  column  a 
fragment. 

Probable  subjects:  dream  of  Izdubar,  Heabani 
invited  comes  to  Erech,  and  explains  the  dream. 

Part  III. — Destruction  of  tJie  tyrant  Humhaba. 

Tablet  IV. — Number  of  lines  probably  about  260. 
About  one-third  of  first,  second,  and  third  columns, 
doubtful  fragments  of  fourth,  fifth,  and  sixth 
columns. 

Tablet  V.— Number  of  lines  about  260.  Most  of 
first  column,  and  part  of  second  column  preserved, 
third,  fourth,  and  fifth  columns  lost,  fragment  of 
sixth  column. 

Probable  subjects:  contests  with  wild  animals, 
Izdubar  and  Heabani  slay  the  tyrant  Humbaba. 

Part  IV. — Adventures  of  Ishtar. 

Tablet  VL— Number  of  lines  about  210.  Most  of 
first  column  preserved,  second  column  nearly  perfect, 
third  and  fourth  columns  partly  preserved,  fifth  and 
sixth  columns  nearly  perfect. 

Tablet  VII. — Number  of  lines  probably  about  240. 
First  line  of  first  column  preserved,  second  column 
lost,  third  and  fourth  column  partly  preserved,  fifth 
and  sixth  columns  conjecturally  restored  from  tablet 
of  descent  of  Ishtar  into  Hades. 


172  THE   IZDUBAB    LEGENDS. 

Probable  subjects:  Ishtar  loves  Izdubar,  her 
amours,  her  ascent  to  heaven,  destruction  of  her 
bull,  her  descent  to  hell. 


Part  V. — Illness  and  wanderings  of  Izdubar. 

Tablet  VIII. — Number  of  lines  probabl}^  about 
270.  Conjectured  fragments  of  first,  second,  and 
third  columns,  fourth  and  fifth  columns  lost,  con- 
jectured fragments  of  sixth  column. 

Tablet  IX. — Number  of  lines  about  190.  Portions 
of  all  six  columns  preserved. 

Tablet  X. — Number  of  lines  about  270.  Portions 
of  all  six  columns  preserved. 

Probable  subjects :  discourse  to  trees,  dreams,  ill- 
ness of  Izdubar,  death  of  Heabani,  wanderings  of 
Izdubar  in  search  of  the  hero  of  the  Deluge. 

Pa7't  VI. — Description  of  Deluge^  and  conclusion. 

Tablet  XL — Number  of  lines  294.  All  six  columns 
nearly  perfect. 

Tablet  XII. — Number  of  lines  about  200.  Portions 
of  first  four  columns  preserved,  two  lines  of  fifth 
column,  sixth  column  perfect. 

Probable  subjects :  description  of  Deluge,  cure  of 
Izdubar,  his  lamentation  over  Heabani. 

In  this  chapter  I  give  under  the  head  of  the  first 
tablet  an  account  of  my  latest  conclusions  on  the 
subject  of  the  personality  of  Nimrod,  and  his  identity 
with  the  Izdubar  of  these  leo-ends. 


THE    IZDUBAB    LEGENDS.  173 

Tablet  I. 

The  opening  words  of  the  first  tablet  are  pre- 
served, they  happen  as  usual  to  form  the  title  of  the 
series,  but  the  expressions  in  the  title  are  obscure, 
from  want  of  any  context  to  explain  them.  There 
are  two  principal  or  key  words,  naqbi  and  kugar ;  the 
meaning  of  kugar  is  quite  unknown,  and  naqbi  is 
ambiguous,  having  several  meanings,  one  being 
"channel"  or  "  water-course,"  which  I  have  before 
conceived  to  be  its  meaning  here ;  but  it  has  another 
meaning,  which  I  now  think  better  fits  the  character 
of  the  legends,  this  meaning  is  "curse"  or  "mis- 
fortune." Taking  this  meaning,  the  opening  line 
will  read  as  the  title  of  the  legends,  "  Of  the  mis- 
fortune seen  to  happen  to  Izdubar."  This  makes 
the  legends  the  story  of  a  curse  or  misfortune  which 
befell  the  great  Babylonian  king  Izdubar;  and,  now 
that  the  fragments  are  put  together  and  arranged  in 
order,  it  appears  that  this  is  a  correct  description  of 
the  contents  of  these  curious  tablets. 

After  the  heading  and  opening  line  there  is  a 
considerable  blank  in  the  story,  two  columns  of 
writing  being  entirely  lost.  It  is  probable  that  this 
part  contained  the  account  of  the  parentage  and 
previous  history  of  Izdubar,  forming  the  introduc- 
tion to  the  story.  In  the  subsequent  portions  of  the 
history  there  is  very  little  information  to  supply  the 
loss  of  this  part  of  the  inscription;  but  it  appears 
that   the   mother   of    Izdubar  was   named  Dannat, 


174  TEE   IZBTJBAB    LEGENDS. 

which  is  only  a  title  meaning  "lady"  or  "  wife  of 
the  chief."  His  father  is  not  named  in  any  of  our 
present  fragments,  but  he  is  referred  to  in  the  third 
tablet.  He  is  most  probably  represented  to  be  a 
god,  and  the  most  likely  deity  is  Samas,  who  is 
supposed  to  interfere  very  much  in  his  behalf.  It 
was  a  common  idea  of  antiquity,  that  men  who 
distinguished  themselves  very  much,  although  born 
of  earthly  mothers,  had  divine  fathers.  Izdubar, 
whose  parentage,  like  that  of  so  many  heroes 
of  antiquity,  is  thus  doubtful,  appears  as  a  mighty 
leader,  a  man  strong  in  war  and  hunting,  a 
giant  who  gained  dominion  in  Babylonia.  The 
whole  of  the  Euphrates  valley  was  at  this  time 
divided  into  petty  kingdoms,  and  Izdubar  by  his 
prowess  established  a  dominion  over  many  of  these, 
makmg  thus  the  first  empire  in  Asia. 

The  centre  of  the  empire  of  Izdubar  appears  to 
have  laid  in  the  region  of  Shinar,  at  Babylon, 
Akkad,  Erech,  and  Nipur,  and  agrees  with  the 
site  of  the  kingdom  of  Nimrod,  according  to  Genesis 
X.  8,  9,  10,  where  we  read :  "  And  Gush  begat 
Nimrod :  he  began  to  be  a  mighty  one  in  the  earth. 
He  was  a  mighty  hunter  before  the  Lord :  wherefore 
it  is  said,  even  as  Nimrod  the  mighty  hunter  before 
the  Lord.  And  the  beginning  of  his  kingdom  was 
Babel,  and  Erech,  and  Accad,  and  Galneh,  in  the 
land  of  Shinar."  All  these  cities  were  ultimately 
within  the  dominion  of  Izdubar,  whose  character  as 
hunter,  leader,   and  king  corresponds  with  that  of 


IZDUBAR    STRANGLING   A    LlON.       FrOM    KhORSABAD   SCULPTURE. 


THE    IZDUBAB    LEGENDS.  175 

Ximrod,  and  the  name  of  Shamas,  or  Samas  tlie  sun- 
god,  who  is  most  probably  represented  as  his  father, 
may  read  Kusu,  the  same  name  as  that  of  the  father 
of  Nimrod. 

The  next  passage  in  Genesis  after  the  one  de- 
scribing Kimrod's  dominion  also  in  my  opinion  refers 
to  Nimrod,  and  relates  the  extension  of  his  kingdom 
into  Assyria.  Our  version  makes  Assur  the  moving 
party  here,  but  I  prefer  to  read  with  the  margin,  "  Out 
of  that  land  he  went  forth  to  Assyria,"  instead  of 
"  Out  of  that  land  went  forth  Assur."  These  verses 
will  then  read  (Genesis,  x.  II,  12)  :  "  Out  of  that  land 
he  went  forth  to  Assyria,  and  builded  Nineveh,  and 
Rehobothair,  and  Calah,  and  Resen,  between  Nineveh 
and  Calah :  the  same  is  a  great  city." 

As  my  indentification  of  Izdubar  with  Nimrod  has 
met  with  some  objection,  I  think  it  will  be  useful  to 
notice  the  various  accounts  of  this  hero,  and  the 
different  hypotheses  propounded  with  respect  to  his 
identification. 

The  two  passages  already  quoted  from  Genesis 
afford  the  only  reliable  information  with  respect  to 
Nimrod  outside  the  cuneiform  inscriptions.  Accord- 
ing to  Genesis  Nimrod  was  a  "  son  of  Gush,"  that  is  a 
Cushite,  or  Ethiopian,  and  he  distinguished  himself 
as  a  mighty  hunter,  his  prowess  being  so  great  that 
his  name  passed  into  a  proverb.  He  afterwards 
became  king,  commencing  his  reign  in  Shinar  or 
Babylonia,  and  still  later  extended  his  empire  into 
Assyria,  where  he  laid  the  foundations  of  that  state 


176  THE    IZDUBAB    LEGENDS. 

by  the  foundation  of  the  four  leading  cities,  Nineveh, 
Calah,  Rehobothair,  and  Resen.  The  fame  of  Nim- 
rod  is  again  alluded  to  in  the  Bible,  where  Assyria 
is  called  the  land  of  Nimrod. 

After  the  date  of  the  later  books  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment we  know  nothing  of  Nimrod  for  some  time ;  it 
is  probable  that  he  was  fully  mentioned  by  Berosus 
in  his  history,  but  his  account  of  the  giant  hunter  has 
been  lost.  The  reason  of  this  appears  to  be,  that  a 
false  idea  had  grown  up  among  early  Christian 
writers  that  the  Biblical  Nimrod  was  the  first  king 
of  Babylonia  after  the  Flood,  and  looking  at  the  list  of 
Berosus  they  found  that  after  the  Flood  according  to 
him  Evechous  first  reigned  in  Babylonia,  and  they  at 
once  assumed  that  the  Evechous  of  Berosus  was  the 
Nimrod  of  the  Bible,  and  as  Evechous  has  given  to 
him  the  extravagant  reign  of  four  ners  or  2,400  years, 
and  his  son  and  successor,  Chomasbelus,  four  ners 
and  five  sosses,  or  2,700  years,  this  identification  gives 
httle  hope  of  finding  an  historical  Nimrod. 

It  is  most  probable  that  this  false  identification  of 
Nimrod  with  Evechous,  made  by  the  early  chronolo- 
gists,  has  caused  them  to  overlook  his  name  and  true 
epoch  in  the  list  of  Berosus,  and  has  thus  lost  to  us 
his  position  in  the  series  of  Babylonian  sovereigns. 

Belonging  to  the  first  centuries  of  the  Christian 
era  are  the  works  of  various  Jewish  and  Christian 
writers,  who  have  made  us  familiar  with  a  number 
of  later  traditions  of  Nimrod.  Josephus  declares 
that  he  was  a  prime  mover  in  building  the  Tower  of 


TEE    IZDUBAB    LEGENDS.  177 

Babel,   an  enemy  of  God,   and  that  he   reigned  at 
Babylon  during  the  dispersion.     Later  writers  make 
him  contemporary  with  Abraham,   the  inventor   of 
idol  worship,  and  a  furious  worshipper  of  fire.     At 
the  city  of  Orfa,  in   Syria,  he  is   said  to  have  cast 
Abraham  into  a  burning  fiery  furnace  because  he 
would  not  bow  down  to  his  idols.     These  traditions 
have  been  taken  up  by  the  Arabs,  and  although  his 
history  has  been  lost  and  replaced  by  absurd  and 
worthless  stories  Nimrod  still  remains  the  most  pro- 
rninent  name  in  the  traditions  of  the  country ;  every- 
thing good  or  evil  is  attributed  to  him,  and  the  most 
important  ruins  are  even  now  called  after  his  name. 
From  the  time  of  the  early  Christian  writers  down 
to  to-day,  men  have  been  busy  framing  systems  of 
general    chronology,    and    as    Nimrod    was    always 
known  as  a  famous  sovereign  it  was  necessary  to 
find  a  definite  place  for  him  in  any  chronological 
scheme.     Africanus  and  Eusebius  held  that  he  was 
the  Evechous  of  Berosus,  and  reigned  first  after  the 
Flood.     Moses  of  Khorene  identified  him  with  Bel, 
the  great  god  of  Babylon;  and  he  is  said  to  have 
extended  his  dominions  to  the  foot  of  the  Armenian 
mountains,  falling  in  battle  there  when  attempting 
to  enforce  his  authority  over  Haic,  king  of  Armenia. 
Some  other  writers  identified  Nimrod  with  Ninus, 
the  mythical  founder  of  the  city  of  Nineveh.     These 
remained  the  principal  identifications  before  modern 
research  took  up  the  matter  ;  but  so  wide  a  door  was 
open  to  conjecture,  that  one  writer  actually  identified 

N 


178  THE    IZBJJBAB    LEGENDS. 

Nimrocl  with  the  Alorus  of  Berosus,  the  first  king 
of  Babylonia  before  the  Flood. 

One  of  the  most  curious  theories  about  Nirarod, 
suggested  in  modern  times,  was  grounded  on  the 
"  Book  of  Nabatean  Agriculture."  This  work  is  a 
comparatively  modern  forgery,  pretending  to  be  a 
literary  production  of  the  early  Chaldean  period. 
What  grounds  there  may  be  for  any  of  its  statements 
I  do  not  know  ;  but  it  is  possible  that  some  of  the 
book  may  be  compiled  from  traditions  now  lost.  In 
this  Avork,  Nimrod  heads  a  list  of  Babylonian  kings 
called  Canaaiiite^  and  a  writer,  whose  name  is  un- 
known to  me,  argued  with  considerable  force  in 
favour  of  these  Canaan ites  being  the  Arabs  of  Be- 
rosus, who  reigned  about  B.C.  1550  to  1300.  Part 
of  Arabia  was  certainly  Cushite,  and,  as  Nimrod  is 
called  a  Cushite  in  Genesis,  there  was  a  great  tempta- 
tion to  identify  him  with  the  leader  of  the  Arab 
dynasty.  This  idea,  however,  gained  little  favour, 
and  has  not,  I  think,  been  held  by  any  sec- 
tion of  inquirers  as  fixing  the  position  of  Nimrod. 
The  discovery  of  the  cuneiform  inscriptions  threw  a 
new  light  on  the  subject  of  Bab}ionian  history,  and 
soon  after  the  decipherment  of  the  inscriptions  atten- 
tion was  directed  to  the  question  of  the  identity  and 
age  of  Nimrod.  Sir  Henry  Rawlinson,  the  father 
of  Assyrian  discovery,  first  seriously  attempted  to 
fix  the  name  of  Nimrod  in  the  cuneiform  inscrip- 
tions, and  he  endeavoured  to  find  the  name  in  that 
of  the  second  god  of  the  great  Chaldean  triad.     (See 


THE    IZDUBAB    LEGENDS.  179 

Rawlinson's  "  Ancient  Monarchies,"  vol.  i.  p.  117.) 
The  names  of -this  deity  are  really  Enu,  Elu,  Kaptn, 
and  Bel,  and  he  was  evidently  worshipped  at  the 
dawn  of  Babylonian  history,  in  fact  he  is  represented 
as  one  of  the  creators  of  the  world  ;  beside  which, 
time  has  shown  that  the  cuneiform  characters  on 
which  the  identification  was  grounded  do  not  bear 
the  phonetic  values  then  supposed. 

Sir  Henry  Bawlinson  also  suggested  ("  Ancient 
Monarchies,"  p.  136)  that  the  god  Nergal  was  a  deifi- 
cation of  Nimrod.  Su'  Plenry  rightly  explains  Her- 
gal  as  meaning  "great  man,"  and  his  character  as 
a  warrior  and  hunter-god  is  similar  to  that  of  Ximrod, 
but  even  if  Mmrod  was  deified  under  the  name  of 
Nergal  this  does  not  explain  his  position  or  epoch. 

Canon  Rawlinson,  brother  of  Sir  Henry,  in  the 
first  volume  of  his  "Ancient  Monarchies,"  p.  153, 
and  following,  makes  some  judicious  remarks  on  the 
chronological  position  of  Nimrod,  and  suggests  that 
he  may  have  reigned  a  century  or  two  before  B.C. 
2286;  he  also  recognizes  the  historical  character  of 
his  reign,  and  supposes  him  to  have  founded  the 
Babylonian  monarchy,  but  he  docs  not  himself  iden- 
tify him  with  any  king  known  from  the  inscriptions. 
At  the  time  when  this  was  written  (1871),  the  con- 
clusions of  Canon  Rawlinson  were  the  most  satisfac- 
tory that  had  been  advanced  since  the  discovery  of 
the  cuneiform  inscriptions.  Since  this  time,  however, 
some  new  theories  have  been  started,  with  the  idea 
of  identifying  Ximrod  ;  one  of  these,  brought  forward 


180  THE    IZDUBAB    LEGENDS. 

by  Professor  Oppert,  makes  the  word  a  geograpliical 
name,  but  such  an  explanation  is  evidently  quite 
insufficient  to  account  for  the  traditions  attached  to 
the  name. 

Another  theory  brought  forward  by  the  Rev.  A. 
H.  Sayce  and  Josef  Grivel,  "  Transactions  of  Society 
of  Biblical  Archteology,"  vol.  ii.  part  2,  p.  243,  and  voL 
iii.  part  1,  p.  136,  identifies  Nimrod  with  Merodach, 
the  god  of  Babylon;  but,  beside  other  objections,  we 
have  the  fact  that  Merodach  was  considered  by  the 
Babylonians  to  have  been  one  of  the  creators  of  the 
world,  and  therefore  they  could  not  have  supposed 
him  to  be  a  deified  king  whose  reign  was  after  the 
Flood.  I  have  always  felt  that  Nimrod,  whose  name 
figures  so  prominently  in  Eastern  tradition,  and 
whose  reign  is  clearly  stated  in  Genesis,  ought  to  be 
found  somewhere  in  the  cuneiform  text,  but  I  first 
inclined  to  the  mistaken  idea  that  he  might  be  Ham- 
murabi, the  first  Arab  king  of  Berosus,  as  this  line 
of  kings  appeared  to  be  connected  with  the  Cosseans. 
This  identification  failing,  I  was  entirely  in  the  dark 
until  I  discovered  the  Deluge  tablet  in  1872,  I  then 
conjectured  that  the  hero  whose  name  I  provisionally 
called  Izdubar  was  the  Nimrod  of  the  Bible,  a  con- 
jecture which  I  have  strengthened  by  fresh  evidence 
from  time  to  time. 

Considering  that  Nimrod  was  the  most  famous  of  the 
Babylonian  kings  in  tradition,  it  is  evident  that  no  his- 
tory of  the  country  can  be  complete  without  some  no- 
tice of  him.     His  absence  from  previous  histories,  and 


THE    IZDUBAB    LEGENDS.  181 

the  unsatisfactory  theories  which  have  been  pro- 
pounded to  account  for  it,  serve  to  show  the  diffi- 
culties which  surround  his  identification. 

The  supposition  that  Nimrod  was  an  ethnic  or 
geographical  name,  which  was  slightly  favoured  by 
Sir  Henry  Rawlinson,  and  has  since  been  urged  by 
Professor  Oppert,  is  quite  untenable,  for  it  would  be 
impossible  on  this  theory  to  account  for  the  tradi- 
tions which  spread  abroad  with  regard  to  Nimrod. 

The  idea  that  Nimrod  Avas  Bel,  or  Elu,  the  second 
god  in  the  great  Babylonian  triad,  was  equally  im- 
possible for  the  same  reason,  and  because  the  worship 
of  Bel  was,  as  I  have  already  stated,  much  more 
ancient,  he  being  considered  one  of  the  creators  of 
the  universe  and  the  father  of  the  gods.  Bel  was 
the  deification  of  the  powers  of  nature  on  earth,  just 
as  Anu  was  a  deification  of  the  powers  of  nature  in 
heaven.  Similar  objections  apply  to  the  supposition 
that  Nimrod  was  Merodach,  the  god  of  Babylon,  and 
to  his  identification  with  Nergal,  who  was  the  man- 
headed  lion.  Of  course  Nimrod  was  deified  like 
several  other  celebrated  kings,  but  in  no  case  was 
a  deified  king  invested  as  one  of  the  supreme  gods 
and  represented  as  a  creator ;  such  a  process  could 
only  come  if  a  nation  entirely  forgot  its  history,  and 
lost  its  original  mythology. 

My  own  o[)iiiion  that  he  was  the  hero  I  have 
hitherto  called  Izdubar  was  first  founded  on  the 
discovery  that  he  formed  the  centre  of  the  national 
historical   poetry,  and  was  the  hero  of  Babylonian 


182  TEE   IZDUBAB    LEGENDS. 

cuneiform  history,  just  as  Nimrod  is  stated  to  have 
been  in  the  later  traditions. 

I  subsequently  found  that  he  agreed  exactly  in 
character  with  Nimrod;  he  was  a  giant  hunter,  ac- 
cording to  the  cuneiform  legends,  who  contended 
with  and  destroyed  the  lion,  tiger,  leopard,  and  wild 
bull  or  buffalo,  animals  the  most  formidable  in  the 
chase  in  any  country.  He  ruled  first  in  Babylonia 
over  the  region  which  from  other  sources  we  know 
to  have  been  the  centre  of  Nimrod's  kingdom.  He 
extended  his  dominion  to  the  Armenian  mountains, 
the  boundary  of  his  late  conquests  according  to  tra- 
dition, and  one  principal  scene  of  his  exploits  and 
triumphs  was  the  city  of  Erech,  which,  according  to 
Genesis,  was  the  second  capital  of  Nimrod. 

There  remains  the  fact  that  the  cuneiform  name 
of  this  hero  is  undeciphered,  the  name  Izdubar, 
which  I  applied  to  him,  being,  as  I  have  always 
stated,  a  makeshift,  only  adhered  to  because  some 
scholars  were  reluctant  to  believe  he  was  Nimrod, 
and  I  thought  it  better  to  continue  the  use  of  a 
name  which  did  not  prejudice  the  question  of  his 
identity,  and  could  consequently  be  used  by  all  irre- 
spective of  their  opinions.  My  own  conviction  is, 
however,  that  when  the  phonetic  reading  of  the  cha- 
racters is  found  it  will  turn  out  to  correspond  with 
the  name  Nimrod.  I  have  already  evidence  for  ap- 
plying this  reading  to  the  characters,  but  it  is  im- 
possible to  give  the  proofs  in  a  popular  work  like  the 
present.     I  believe  that  the  translations  and  notes 


THE    IZBUBAE    LEGENDS.  183 

given  in  this  book  will  lead  to  the  general  admission 
of  the  identity  of  the  hero  I  call  Izdubar  with  the 
traditional  Nirarod,  and  when  this  result  is  estab- 
lished I  shall  myself  abandon  the  provisional  name 
Izdubar,  which  cannot  possiljly  be  correct. 

At  the  time  of  the  opening  of  this  story,  the  great 
city  of  the  south  of  Babylonia,  and  the  capital  of 
this  part  of  the  country,  was  Uruk  or  Aruk,  called,  in 
the  Genesis  account  of  Ximrod,  Erech.  Erech  was 
devoted  to  the  worship  of  Ann,  god  of  heaven,  and 
his  wife,  the  goddess  Anatu,  and  was  ruled  at  this 
time  by  a  qneen  named  Istar  or  Ishtar,  who  was 
supposed  to  be  daughter  of  Ann  and  Anatu.  Istar 
had  been  the  wife  of  the  chief  of  Erech,  Dumuzi 
(the  Tammuz  of  the  Greeks),  who  like  her  was  after- 
wards deified.  On  the  death  of  Dumuzi,  Ishtar  had 
ruled  at  Erech,  and  according  to  the  accounts  had 
indulged  in  a  dissolute  course  of  life,  which  was  the 
scandal  of  the  whole  country. 

Here  I  provisionally  place  the  first  fragment  of 
the  Izdubar  legends,  K  3200.  This  fragment  con- 
sists of  part  of  the  third  column  of  a  tablet,  I 
believe  of  the  first  tablet ;  and  it  gives  an  account 
of  a  conquest  of  Erech  by  some  enemy,  which  hap- 
pened during  the  time  of  Istar  and  Izdubar.  This 
fragment  reads : — 

1.  his he  left 

2.  his went  down  to  the  river, 

3.  in  the  river  his  ships  were  placed. 

4 were  ....  and  wept  bitterly 


184  TEE    IZDUBAB    LEGENDS. 

5 placed,  the  city  of  Ganganna  was  power- 
less. 

6 tlieii'  ....  slie  asses 

7 their  ....  great. 

8.  Like  animals  the  people  feared, 

9.  like  doves  the  slaves  mourned. 

10.  The  gods  of  Erech  Suburi 

11.  turned  to  flies  and  fled  away  in  droves. 

12.  The  spirits  of  Erech  Suburi 

13.  turned  to  Sikkim  and  went  out  in  companies. 

14.  For  three  years  the  city  of  Erech  could  not 
resist  the  enemy, 

15.  the  great  gates  were  thrown  down  and  trampled 
upon, 

16.  the  goddess  Istar  before  her  enemies  could 
not  lift  her  head. 

17.  Bel  his  mouth  opened  and  spake, 

18.  to  Ishtar  the  queen  a  speech  he  made: 

19 in   the   midst    of    Nipur   my   hands 

have  placed, 

20 my   country?    Babylon  the   house    of 

my  delight, 

21.  and  my  people?  my  hands  have  given. 

22 he  looked  at  the  sanctuaries 

23 in  the  day 

24 the  great  gods. 

Here  we  have  a  graphic  account  of  the  condition 
of  Erech,  when  the  enemy  overran  the  country,  and 
the  first  question  which  occurs  is,  who  were  these 
conquerors  ?     My  original  idea  was  that  they  were 


TEE    IZDUBAB    LEGENDS.  J85 

a  tribe  who  held  Erech  for  a  short  time,  and  were 
driven  out  by  Izdubar,  whose  exploit  and  subsequent 
assumption  of  the  crown  of  Erech  were  related  in 
the  remainder  of  the  first  tablet  (see  "  Assyrian  Dis- 
coveries," p.  169),  but  this  conjecture  has  not  been 
confirmed  by  my  subsequent  investigations;  in  fact 
it  appears  that  Izdubar  did  not  assume  the  crown 
until  long  after  the  events  recorded  on  this  tablet. 
It  appears  that  Izdubar  did  not  become  king  until 
after  he  had  slain  the  tyrant  Humbaba,  and  this 
leads  directly  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  Hum- 
baba, or  at  least  the  race  to  which  he  belonged,  that 
conquered  and  tyrannized  over  Erech  and  probably 
over  the  whole  of  Babylonia. 

The  name  of  Humbaba,  or  Hubaba,  as  it  is  occa- 
sionally written,  is  evidently  Elamite  and  composed 
of  two  elements,  "  Humba,"  the  name  of  a  celebrated 
Elamite  god,  and  "ba,"  a  verb,  usually  a  contraction 
for  ban,  bana,  and  bani,  meaning  "  to  make,"  the 
whole  name  meaning  "  Humbaba  has  made  [me]." 
Many  other  Elamite  names  compounded  with  Humba 
are  mentioned  in  the  inscriptions :  Humba-sidir, 
an  early  chief;  Humba-undasa,  an  Elamite  general 
opposed  to  Sennacherib ;  Humba-nigas,  an  Elamite 
monarch  opposed  to  Sargon ;  Tul-humba,  an  Elamite 
city,  &c. 

The  notice  of  foreign  dominion,  and  particularly 
of  Elamite  supremacy  at  this  time,  may,  I  think, 
form  a  clue  from  which  to  ascertain  the  approximate 
age  of  Izdubar ;   but  I  would  first  guard  against  the 


186  THE    IZDUBAB    LEGENDS. 

impression  that  the  ELimitcs  of  this  a^e  were  the 
same  race  as  the  Elamites  known  in  later  times.  It 
is  probable  that  new  waves  of  conquest  and  coloniza- 
tion passed  over  all  these  regions  between  the  time 
of  Izdubar  and  the  Assyrian  period,  although  the  same 
deities  continued  to  be  adored  in  the  countries. 

Lookinsr  at  the  frao;ments  of  Berosus  and  the  no- 
tices  of  Greek  and  Roman  authors,  the  question  now 
arises,  is  there  any  epoch  of  conquest  and  foreign 
dominion  which  can  approximately  be  fixed  upon  as 
the  era  of  Izdubar  ?    I  think  there  is. 

The  earlier  part  of  the  list  of  Berosus  gives  the 
following  dynasties  or,  more  properly,  periods  from 
the  Flood  downwards : — 

86  Chaldean  kings  reigned  from  the  Flood  down  to 
the  Median  conquest,  34,080  or  33,091  years. 

8  Median  kings  who  conquered  and  held  Babylon, 
234,  or  224,  or  190  years. 

11  other  kings,  race  and  duration  unknown. 

49  Chaldean  kings,  458  years. 

The  last  of  these  dynasties,  the  49  kings,  reigned, 
as  I  have  already  pointed  out  in  p.  25,  from  about 
B.C.  2000  to  1550,  and  throughout  their  time  the 
Izdubar  legends  were  known,  and  allusions  to  them 
are  found.  The  time  of  Izdubar  must  therefore  be 
before  their  period,  and,  as  he  headed  a  native  rule 
after  a  period  of  conquest,  the  only  possible  place  for 
him,  according  to  our  present  knowledge,  is  at  the 
head  of  the  11  kings,  and  succeeding  the  Medes  of 
Berosus. 


THE    IZBUBAU    LEGENDS.  187 

This  position  for  Iztlubar  or  Nimrod,  if  it  should 
turn  out  correct,  will  guide  us  to  several  valuable 
conclusions  as  to  Babylonian  history.  So  far  as  the 
dynasty  is  concerned,  which  Berosus  calls  Median,  it 
is  most  probable  that  these  kings  were  Elamites ;  cer- 
tainly we  have  no  knowledge  of  the  Arian  Medes 
being  on  the  Asspian  frontier  until  several  centuries 
later,  and  it  is  generally  conceded  that  Berosus,  in 
calling  them  Medes,  has  only  exj^ressed  their  Eastern 
orio'in.  Alio  win  2^  them  to  be  Elamites,  or  inhabit- 
ants  of  Elam,  there  remains  the  question,  to  what 
race  did  they  belong  ? 

The  later  Elamites  are  believed  to  have  been  either 
Turanians  or  Arians;  but  we  are  by  no  means  cer- 
tain that  no  new  race  had  come  into  the  country  since 
the  time  of  Izdubar.  There  was  a  constant  stream 
of  immigration  from  the  cast  and  north,  which 
gradually  but  surely  altered  the  character  of  several 
of  the  races  of  Western  Asia. 

In  Babylonia  itself  it  is  believed  that  a  change  of 
this  sort  took  place  in  early  times,  the  original 
Turanian  population  having  been  conquered  and  en- 
slaved by  Semitic  tribes,  and  there  has  always  been 
a  difficulty  as  to  where  the  Semitic  peoples  origi- 
nated. 

The  Semitic  race  was  already  dominant  in  Baby- 
lonia two  thousand  years  before  the  Christian  era, 
and  before  this  time  there  is  only  one  conquest  re- 
corded—that of  Bal)ylonia  by  the  Medes  or  Elamites, 
and  I  think  it  is  most  likely  that  from  Elam  the 


188  THE    IZDUBAB    LEGENDS. 

Semites  first  came.  The  usual  theory  is  that  the 
Semitic  race  came  from  Arabia ;  but  this  is  quite  un- 
likely, as  there  is  no  known  conquest  of  Babylonia 
from  this  direction  previous  to  the  sixteenth  century 
before  the  Christian  era. 


Migration  of  Eastern  Tribe  ;  from  early  Babylonian  Cylinder, 

In  the  Book  of  Genesis  Elam  is  counted  as  the  first 
son  of  Shem  or  Semitic  nation,  and  I  think  this  may 
indicate  a  knowledge,  at  the  time  that  book  was 
written,  that  the  Semitic  race  came  from  this  direc- 
tion ;  they  were  probably  driven  westward  by  the 
advance  of  the  Arians,  and  these  latter  in  their  pro- 
gress may  have  obliterated  nearly  all  the  traces  of 
the  Semites  whom  they  dispossessed. 

The  next  question  which  strikes  an  observer  is  as 
to  the  date  of  these  events.  Some  years  back  I  pub- 
lished a  curious  inscription,  of  which  I  gave  the  texts 
and  translations  in  my  "  History  of  Assurbanipal," 
pp.  234  to  251,  referring  to  the  goddess  Nana,  the 
Ishtar  of  Erech,  also  called  Uzur-amat-sa.  In  these 
inscriptions  a  period  of  1635  is  mentioned  as  ending 


THE    IZDUBAE    LEGEKDS.  189 

at  the  capture  of  Sluishan,  the  capital  of  Elam,  by  the 
Assyrians,  about  B.C.  645,  thus  making  the  initial 
date  B.C.  2280.  At  that  time  an  image  of  Nana  was 
carried  into  captivity  from  Erech  by  the  Elamite  king, 
Kudur-nanhundi,  who,  according  to  these  inscriptions, 
appears  to  have  then  ruled  over  and  oppressed  the 
land  of  Babylonia.  It  is  possible  that  the  ravaging 
of  the  city  of  Erech,  mentioned  in  the  fragment  of 
the  first  tablet  of  the  Izdubar  legends,  recounts  the 
very  event  alluded  to  by  Assurbanipal.  This  date 
and  the  circumstances  of  the  Elamite  conquest  form, 
I  think,  a  clue  to  the  age  of  Izdubar.  Kudur-nan- 
hundi, who  plundered  Erech,  was  probably  one  of 
the  later  kings  of  this  dynasty,  and  Humba-ba  was 
the  last.  A  fragment  which  refers  to  this  period  in 
"  Cuneiform  Inscriptions,"  vol.  iii.  p.  38,  relates  the 
destruction  wrought  in  the  country  by  the  Elamites, 
and  gives  Kudur-nanhundi  as  following  one  of  the 
other  monarchs  of  this  line,  and  as  exceeding  his 
predecessors  in  the  injury  he  did  to  the  country. 
Puttino'   too-ether   the   detached    notices    of    this 

o         o 

period,  I  conjecture  the  following  to  be  somewhere 
about  the  chronology,  the  dates  being  understood  as 
round  numbers. 

B.C.  2450,  Elamites  overrun  Babylonia. 

B.C.  2280,  Kudur-nanhundi,  king  of  Elam,  ravages 
Erech. 

B.C.  2250,  Izdubar  or  Nimrod  slays  Humba-ba,  and 
restores  the  Chaldean  power. 


190  THE    IZDUBAB    LEGENDS. 

There  is  one  serious  objection  to  this  idea.  Al- 
though the  date  B.C.  2280  appears  to  be  given  in  the 
inscription  of  Assurbanipal  for  the  ravages  of  Kudur- 
nanhundi,  yet  the  other  mutihited  notices  of  this 
Elamite  monarch  are  combined  with  names  of  Baby- 
lonian monarchs  who  do  not  appear  to  be  anything 
like  so  ancient.  One  of  these,  said  in  the  inscription, 
"Cuneiform  Inscriptions,"  vol.  iii.  p.  38,  Xo.  2,  to  be 
contemporary  with  Kudur-nanhundi,  is  Bel-zakir- 
uzur.  No  name  compounded  in  this  form  has  yet 
been  found  earlier  than  b.c   1500. 

Although  the  dates  transmitted  through  ancient 
authors  are  as  a  rule  vague  and  doubtful,  there  are 
many  independent  notices  which  seem  to  ])oint  to 
somewhere  about  the  twenty-third  century  before 
the  Christian  era  for  the  foundation  of  the  Baby- 
lonian and  Assyrian  j^ower.  Several  of  these  dates 
are  connected  either  directly  or  by  implication  with 
Nimrod,  who  first  formed  a  united  empire  over  these 
regions. 

The  following  are  some  of  these  notices : — 

Simplicius  relates  that  Callisthenis,  the  friend  of 
Alexander,  sent  to  Aristotle  from  Babylon  a  series  of 
stellar  observations  reaching  back  1,903  years  before 
the  taking  of  Babylon  by  Alexander.  This  would 
makel903  +  331=B.c.  2234. 

Philo-biblius,  according  to  Stephen,  made  the 
foundation  of  Babylon  1,002  years  before  Semiramis 
and  the  Trojan  war,  as  these  later  were  supposed  to 


TEE    IZDUBAB    LEGENDS.  191 

have  been  in  tlie  thirteenth  century  b.c.  This  comes 
to  about  the  same  date. 

Berosus  and  Critodcmus  are  said  by  Pliny  to  have 
made  the  inscribed  stellar  observations  reach  to  480 
years  before  the  era  of  Phoroneus;  the  latter  date 
was  supposed  to  be  about  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth 
century  B.C.,  480  years  before  it,  comes  also  to  about 
the  same  date. 

These  three  instances  are  given  in  Pawlinson's 
"  Ancient  Monarchies,"  p.  149. 

Diodorus  makes  the  Assyrian  empire  commence  a 
thousand  years  or  more  belbre  the  Trojan  war. 

Ctesius  and  Cephalion  make  its  foundation  early 
in  the  twenty-second  century  B.C. 

Auctor  Barbaras  makes  it  in  the  twenty-third 
century  B.C. 

These  and  other  notices  probably  point  to  about 
the  same  period,  the  time  when  Ximrod  united 
Babylonia  into  one  monarchy,  and  founded  Mneveh 
in  Assyria. 

Before  parting  with  the  consideration  of  the  first 
tablet,  I  will  give  a  small  fragment,  which  I  provision- 
ally insert  here  for  want  of  a  better  place. 

1.  ...  to  thee  

2.  Bel  thy  father  sent  me  .... 

3.  thus  ....  heard  .... 

4.  AVhen  in  the  midst  of  those  forests  .... 

5.  he  rejoiced  at  its  fragrance  and  .... 

6.  at  first 


192 


TEE    IZDUBAB     LEGENDS. 


7.  Go  and  thou  shalt  take  .... 

8.  May  est  thou  rejoice  .... 

Of  the  latter  part  of  the  first  tablet  we  have  as  yet 


no  knowledge. 


Chapter   XII. 

MEETING  OF  HEABANI  AND  IZDUBAR. 

Dream  of  Izclubar. — Heabani. — His  wisdom. — His  solitary 
life. — Izdubar's  petition. — Zaidu. — Hariratu  and  Sambat. — 
Tempt  Heabani. — Migbt  and  fame  of  Izdubar. — Speech  of  Hea- 
bani.— His  journey  to  Erecb. — Tbe  midannu  or  tiger. — Festival 
at  Erecb. — Dream  of  Izdubar. — Friendship  with  Heabani. 


ward, 


iS^  this  chapter  I  have  included  the  frag- 
ments of  what  appear  to  be  the  second 
and  third  tablets.  In  this  section  of  the 
story  Izdubar  comes  prominently  for- 
meets  with  Heabani.  I  have  already 
noticed  the  supposed  parentage  of  Izdubar ;  the  notice 
of  his  mother  Dannat  appears  in  one  of  the  tablets 
given  in  this  chapter. 

Izdubar,  in  the  Babylonian  and  Assyrian  sculptures, 
is  ahvays  represented  with  a  marked  physiognomy, 
and  his  peculiarities  can  be  seen  by  noticing  the 
photograph  from  a  Babylonian  gem  at  the  beginning 
of  the  book,  the  engra\dng  from  an  Assyrian  sculpture 
o 


194  MEETING    OF    EEABANI 

in  the  last  chapter,  and  the  engra^dng  in  page  239 
showing  Izdubar  and  Heabani  struggHng  with  wild 
animals.  In  all  these  cases,  and  in  every  other 
instance  where  Izdubar  is  represented,  he  is  indicated 
as  a  man  with  masses  of  curls  over  his  head  and  a 
large  curly  beard.  So  marked  is  this,  and  different  in 
cast  to  the  usual  Babylonian  type,  that  I  cannot  help 
the  impression  of  its  being  a  representation  of  a  dis- 
tinct and  probably  Ethiopian  type. 

The  deity  of  Izdubar  was  Sarturda,  from  which  I 
suppose  he  was  a  native  of  the  district  of  Amarda  or 
Marad,  where  that  god  was  worshipped.  This  district 
was  probably  the  Amordacia  or  Mardoca^a  of  Ptolemy, 
but  I  do  not  know  where  it  was  situated. 

The  fragments  of  the  second  and  third  tablets 
assume  by  their  notices  that  Izdubar  was  already 
known  as  a  mighty  hunter,  and  it  appeared  a  little 
later  that  he  claimed  descent  from  the  old  Babylonian 
kings,  calling  Hasisadra  his  "father." 

Tablet  IL 
I  have  recovered  a  single  fragment,  which  I 
believe  to  belong  to  this  tablet ;  it  is  K  3389,  and  it 
contains  part  of  the  third  and  fourth  columns  of 
Avi'iting.  It  appears  from  this  that  Izdubar  was 
then  at  Erech,  and  he  had  a  curious  dream.  He 
thought  he  saw  the  stars  of  heaven  fall  to  the  ground, 
and  in  their  descent  they  struck  upon  his  back.  He 
then  saw  standing  over  him  a  terrible  being,  the 
aspect  of  his  face  was  fierce,  and  he  was  armed  with 


AND    IZDUBAB.  195 

claws,  like  the  claws  of  lions.  The  greater  part  of 
the  description  of  the  dream  is  lost;  it  probably 
occupied  columns  I.  and  11.  of  the  second  tablet. 
Thinking  that  the  dream  portended  some  fate  to 
himself,  Izdubar  calls  on  all  the  wise  men  to  explain 
it,  and  offers  a  reward  to  any  one  who  can  interpret 
the  dream.     Here  the  fragment  K  3389  comes  in : 

Column  III. 

1 ru  kill  I  .  .  .  . 

2 he  and  the  princes  may  he  .  .  . 

3 in  the  vicinity  send  him, 

4 may  they  ennoble  his  family, 

5 at  the  head  of  his  feast  may  he  set  thee 

6 may  he  array  thee  in  jewels  and  gold 

7 may  he  enclose  thee 

8 in  his  ...  .  seat  thee 

9.  into  the  houses  of  the  gods  may  he  cause  thee 
to  enter 

10 seven  wives 

11 cause  illness  in  his  stomach 

12 went  up  alone 

13 his  heaviness  to  his  friend 

14 a  dream  I  dreamed  in  my  sleep 

15 the  stars  of  heaven  fell  to  the  earth 

16 I  stood' still 

17 his  face 

18 his  face  was  terrible 

19 like  the  claws  of  a  lion,  were  his  claws 

20 the  strength  in  me 


196  MEETING    OF    HEABANI 

21 lie  slew 

22 me 

23 over  me 

24 corpse   .... 

The  first  part  of  this  fragment  appears  to  contain 
the  honours  offered  by  Izdubar  to  any  one  who  should 
interpret  the  dream.  These  included  the  ennobling 
of  his  family,  his  recognition  in  assemblies,  his 
being  invested  with  jewels  of  honour,  and  his  wives 
being  increased.  A  description  of  the  dream  of 
the  hero,  much  mutilated,  follows.  The  conduct 
of  Nebuchadnezzar  in  the  Book  of  Daniel,  with 
reference  to  his  dreams,  bears  some  resemblance  to 
that  of  Izdubar. 

After  this  fragment  we  have  again  a  blank  in  the 
story,  and  it  would  appear  that  in  this  interval 
application  was  made  to  a  hermit  named  Heabani 
that  he  would  go  to  the  city  of  Erech  and  interpret 
the  dream  of  Izdubar. 

Heabani  appears,  from  the  representations  on  seals 
and  other  objects  on  which  he  is  figured,  to  have 
been  a  satyr  or  faun.  He  is  always  drawn  with  the 
feet  and  tail  of  an  ox,  and  with  horns  on  his  head. 
He  is  said  to  have  lived  in  a  cave  among  the  Avild 
animals  of  the  forest,  and  was  supposed  to  possess 
wonderful  knowledge  both  of  nature  and  human 
affairs.  Heabani  was  angry  at  the  request  that  he 
should  abandon  his  solitary  life  for  the  friendship  of 
Izdubar,  and  where  our  narrative  reopens  the  god 
Samas  is  persuading  him  to  accept  the  offer. 


AND    IZDZfBAB.  197 

COLUJIN  IV. 

1 me 

2 on  my  back 

3.  And  Shamas  opened  his  mouth 

4.  and  spake  and  from  heaven  said  to  him : 

5 and    the    female    Samhat    (delightful) 

thou  shalt  choose 

6.  they  shall  array  thee  in  trappings  of  divinity 

7.  they  shall  give  thee  the  insignia  of  royalty 

8.  they  shall  make  thee  become  great 

9.  and  Izdubar  thou  shalt  call  and  incline  him 
towards  thee 

10.  and  Izdubar  shall  make  friendship  unto  thee 

11.  he  shall  cause  thee  to  recline  on  a  grand  couch 

12.  on  a  beautiful  couch  he  shall  seat  thee 

13.  he  will  cause  thee  to  sit  on  a  comfortable  seat 
a  seat  on  the  left 

14.  the  kings  of  the  earth  shall  kiss  thy  feet 

15.  he  shall  enrich  thee  and  the  men  of  Erech  he 
shall  make  silent  before  thee 

16.  and  he  after  thee  shall  take  all  ...  . 

17.  he  shall  clothe  thy  body  in  raiment  and  .... 

18.  Heabani  heard  the  words  of  Shamas  the  warrior 

19.  and  the  anger  of  his  heart  was  appeased 

20.  .  .  ^  .  was  appeased 

Here  we  are  still  dealing  with  the  honours  which 
Izdubar  promises  to  the  interpreter  of  his  dream, 
and  these  seem  to  show  that  Izdubar  had  some  power 


198  MEETING    OF    BEABANI 

at  Erech  at  this  time ;  he  does  not,  however,  appear 
to  have  been  an  independent  king,  and  it  is  probable 
that  the  next  two  columns  of  this  tablet,  now  lost, 
contain  negotiations  for  bringing  Heabani  to  Erech, 
the  subject,  being  continued  on  the  tliird  tablet. 

Tablet  III. 
This  tablet  is  far  better  preserved  than  the  two 
previous  ones ;  it  gives  the  account  of  the  successful 
mission   to  bring    Heabani  to  Ur,    opening  with  a 
broken  account  of  the  wisdom  of  Heabani. 

Column  I. 

1 knows  all  things 

2 and  difficult 

o wisdom  of  all  things 

4 the  knowledge  that  is  seen  and  that 

which  is  hidden 

5 bring  word  of  peace  to  .  .  .  . 

6.  from  a  far  off  road  he  will  come  and  I  rest 
and  .... 

7 on  tablets  and  all  that  rests  .... 

8 and  tower  of  Erech  Suburi 

9 beautiful 

10 which  like  .... 

11 I  strove  with  him  not  to  leave  .... 

'    12 god?  who  from  .... 

13 carry  .... 

14 leave  .... 

(Many  lines  lost.) 


AND    IZDUBAB.  109 

Column  IL 

1.  Izdubar  did  not  leave 

2.  Daughter  of  a  warrior 

3.  their  might 

4.  the  gods  of  heaven,  lord 

5.  thou  makest  to  be  sons  and  family  ? 

6.  there  is  not  any  other  like  thee 

7.  in  the  depth  made 

8.  Izdubar  did  not  leave,  the  son  to  his  father  day 
and  night 

9.  he  the  ruler  also  of  Erech 

10.  he  their  ruler  and 

11.  made  firm  ?  and  wise 

12.  Izdubar  did  not  leave  Dannat,  the  son  to  his 
mother 

13.  Daughter  of  a  warrior,  wife  of 

14.  their  might  the  god  ....  heard  and  .  .  . 

15.  Aruru   strong   and   great,    thou    Aruru  hast 
made 

16.  again  making  his  streng-th,  one  day  his  heart 


17.  he  changed  and  the  city  of  Erech 

18.  Aruru  on  hearing  this,  the  strength  of  Anu 
made  in  the  midst 

19.  Aruru  put  in  her  hands,  she  bowed  her  breast 
and  lay  on  the  ground 

20.  .  .  .  Heabani  she  made  a  warrior,  begotten  of 
the  seed  of  the  soldier  Ninip 

21 covered  his  body,  retiring  in  com- 
panionship hke  a  woman, 


200  MEETING    OF   HE  A  BAN  I 

22.  the  features  of  his  aspect  were  concealed  like 
the  corn  god 

23.  possessing  knowledge  of  men  and  countries,  in 
clothing  clothed  like  the  god  Ner 

24.  with  the  gazelles  he  eat  food  in  the  night 

25.  with  the  beasts  of  the  field  he  consorted  in  the 
day 

26.  with  the   creeping  things  of  the  waters   his 
heart  delighted 

27.  Zaidu  catcher  of  men 

28.  in  front  of  that  field  confronted  him 

29.  the  first  day  the  second  day  and  the  third  in 
the  front  of  that  field  the  same 

30.  the  courage  of  Zaidu  dried  up  before  him 

31.  and  he  and  his  beast  entered  into  his  house 
and 

32 fear  dried  up  and  overcome 

33 his  courage  grew  before  him 

34 his  face  was  terrible 


Column  III. 
1.  Zaidu  opened  his  mouth  and  spake  and  said  to 


2.  My  father  the  first  leader  who  shall  go  .  . 

3.  in  the  land  of 

4.  like  the  soldier  of  Anu 

5.  shall  march  over  the  country 

6.  and  firmly  with  the  beast 

7.  and  firmly  his  feet  in  the  front  of  the  field 

8.  I  feared  and  I  did  not  approach  it 


AND    IZDTJBAE.  201 

9.  he  filled  the  cave  which  he  had  dug 
10 

11.  I  ascended  on  my  hands  to  the  .... 

12.  I  did  not  reach  to  the 

13 and  said  to  Zaidu 

14 Erech,  Izdubar 

15 ascend  his  field 

16 his  might 

17 thy  face 

18 the  might  of  a  man 

19 

20 like  a  chief 

21 field 

22  to  24  three  lines  of  directions 

25.  According  to  the  advice  of  his  father  .... 

26.  Zaidu  went 

27.  he  took  the  road  and  in  the  midst  of  Erech  he 
halted 

28 Izdubar  .... 

29.  the  first  leader  who  shall  go  ...  , 
•30.  in  the  land  of  ...  . 

31.  like  the  soldier  of  Ann  .... 

32.  shall  march  over  the  country  .... 

33.  and  firmly  with  the  beast  .... 

34.  and  firmly  his  feet  .... 

35.  I  feared  and  I  did  not  approach  it 

36.  he  filled  the  cave  which  he  had  dufr 
37 

38.  I  ascended  on  my  hands 

39.  I  was  not  able  to  reach  to  the  covert. 


202  •  MEETING    OF    HEABANI 

40.  Izdubar  to  him  also  said  to  Zaidu : 

41.  go  Zaidu  and  with  thee  the  female  Harimtu, 
and  Samhat  take, 

42.  and  when  the  beast  ...  in  front  of  the  field 
43  to  45.  directions  to  the  female  how  to  entice 

Heabani. 

46.  Zaidu  went  and  with  him  Harimtu,  and  Sam- 
hat  he  took,  and 

47.  they  took  the  road,  and  went  along  the  path. 

48.  On  the  third  day  they  reached  the  land  where 
the  flood  happened. 

49.  Zaidu  and  Harimtu  in  their  places  sat, 

50.  the  first  day  and  the   second  day  in  front  of 
the  field  they  sat, 

51.  the  land  where  the  beast  drank  of  drink. 

Column  IY. 

1.  the  land  where  the  creeping  things  of  the  water 
rejoiced  his  heart. 

2.  And    he    Heabani    had    made   for   himself    a 
mountain 

3.  with  the  gazelles  he  eat  food, 

4.  with  the  beasts  he  drank  of  drink, 

5.  with  the  creeping  things  of  the  waters  his  heart 
rejoiced. 

6.  Samhat  the  enticer  of  men  saw  him 

7  to  26.  details  of  the  actions  of  the  female  Sam- 
hat and  Heabani. 


AND    IZDJJBAB.  203 

27.  And  Heabani  approached  Harimtu  then,  Avho 
before  had  not  enticed  him. 

28.  And  he  listened  ....  and  was  attentive, 

29.  and  he  turned  and  sat  at  the  feet  of  Harimtu. 

30.  Harimtu  bent  down  her  face, 

31.  and  Harimtu  spake;  and  his  ears  heard 

32.  and  to  him  also  she  said  to  Heabani: 

33.  Famous  Heabani  like  a  god  art  thou, 

34.  "Why  dost   thou  associate  with   the   creeping 
things  in  the  desert? 

35.  I  desire  thy  company  to  the  midst  of  Erech 
Suburi, 

36.  to  the  temple  of  EUi-tardusi  the  seat  of  Anu 
and  Ishtar, 

37.  the  dwelling  of  Izdubar  the  mighty  giant, 

38.  who  also  like  a  bull  towers  over  the  chiefs. 

39.  She  spake  to  him  and  before  her  speech, 

40.  thfe  wisdom  of  his  heart  flew  away  and  dis- 
appeared. 

41.  Heabani  to  her  also  said  to  Harimtu : 

42.  I  join  to  Samhat  my  companionship, 

43.  to  the  temple  of  Elli-tardusi  the  seat  of  Anu 
and  Ishtar, 

44.  the  dwelhng  of  Izdubar  the  mighty  giant, 

45.  who  also  like  a  bull  towers  over  the  chiefs. 

46.  I  will  meet  him  and  see  his  power, 

Column  Y. 

1.  I  will  bring  to  the  midst  of  Erech  a  tiger, 

2.  and  if  he  is  able  he  will  destroy  it. 


W^±^:^ 


01? 


204  MEETING    OF    BE  A  BAN  I 

3.  In  the  desert  it  is  begotten,  it  has  great  strength, 

4 before  thee 

5 everything  there  is  I  know 

6.  Heabani  went  to  the  midst  of  Erech  Suburi 

7 the  chiefs  .  .  .  made  submission 

8.  in  that  day  they  made  a  festival 
9. city 

10 daughter 

11 made  rejoicing 

12 becoming  gi^eat 

13 mingled  and 

14 Izdubar  rejoicing  the  people 

15.  went  before  him 

16.  A  prince  thou  becomest  glory  thou  hast     ~ 
17 fiUs  his  body 

18 who  day  and  night 

19 destroy  thy  terror 

20 the  god  Samas  loves  him  and 

21 and  Hea  have  given  intelligence  to  his 

ears 

22.  he  has  come  from  the  mountain 

23.  to   the   midst  of  Erech  he  will  ponder  thy 
dream 

24.  Izdubar  his  dream  revealed  and  said  to  his 
mother 

25.  A  dream  I  dreamed  in  my  sleep 
26 the  stars  of  heaven 

27 struck  upon  my  back 

28 of  heaven  over  me 

29 did  not  rise  over  it 


AND    IZDUBAB.  206 

30 stood  over 

31 him  and 

32 over  him 

33 his  ...  . 

34 princess 

35 .  me 

36 I  know 

37 to  Izdubar 

38 of  heaven 

39 over  thy  back 

40 over  thee 

41 did  not  rise  over  it 

42 my 

43 thee 

There  is  one  other  mutilated  fragment  of  this  and 
the  next  column  with  part  of  a  relation  respecting 
beasts  and  a  fragment  of  a  conversation  between  Izdu- 
bar and  his  mother. 

The  whole  of  this  tablet  is  curious,  and  it  certaiidy 
gives  the  successful  issue  of  the  attempt  to  bring 
Heabani  to  Erech,  and  in  very  fragmentary  condition 
the  dream  of  the  monarch. 

I  have  omitted  some  of  the  details  in  columns  III. 
and  IV.  because  they  were  on  the  one  side  obscure, 
and  on  the  other  hand  appeared  hardly  adapted  for 
general  reading. 

It  appears  that  the  females  Samhat  and  Harimtu 
prevailed  upon  Heabani  to  come  to  Erech  and  see  the 
exploits  of  the  giant  Izdubar,  and  he  declared  that  he 
would  bring  a  Midannu^  most  probably  a  tiger,  to 


206  EEABANI   AND    IZDUBAB. 

Erech,  in  order  to  make  trial  of  the  strength  of  Izdu- 
bar,  and  to  see  if  he  could  destroy  it. 

The  Midannu  is  mentioned  in  the  Assyrian  texts 
as  a  fierce  carnivorous  animal  allied  to  the  lion  and 
leopard ;  it  is  called  Midannu,  Mindinu,  and  Mandinu. 

In  the  fifth  column,  after  the  description  of  the 
festivities  which  followed  the  arrival  of  Heabani, 
there  appears  a  break  between  lines  15  and  16,  some 
part  of  the  original  story  being  probably  omitted 
here.  I  believe  that  the  Assyrian  copy  is  here 
defective,  at  least  one  line  being  lost.  The  portion 
here  omitted  probably  stated  that  the  following 
speech  was  made  by  the  mother  of  Izdubar,  who 
figures  prominently  in  the  earlier  part  of  these 
legends. 


Chapter  XIII. 

DESTRUCTION  OP  THE  TYRANT  HUMBABA. 

Elamite  dominion. — Forest  region. — Humbaba. — Conversa- 
tion.— Petition  to  Shamas. — Journey  to  forest. — Dwelling  of 
Humbaba. — Entrance  to  forest. — Meeting  with  Humbaba. — 
Deatb  of  Humbaba. — Izdubar  king. 

HAA^E   had   considerable  difficulty   in 
writing   this    chapter ;    in   fact  I    have 
arrano-ed  the  matter  now  three  times, 
_  and  such  is   the  wretched  broken  con- 

dition of  the  fragments  that  I  am  even  now  quite 
uncertain  if  I  have  the  correct  order.  The  various 
detached  fragments  belong  to  the  fourth  and  fifth 
tablets  in  the  series,  and  relate  the  contest  between 
Izdubar  and  Humbaba. 

I  have  already  stated  my  opinion  that  Humbaba 
was  an  Elamite,  and  that  he  was  the  last  of  the 
dynasty  which,  according  to  Berosus,  conquered  and 
held  Babylonia  for  about  two  centuries,  between  B.C. 
2450  and  2250.  Humbaba  held  his  court  in  the 
midst  of  a  region  of  erini  trees,  where  there  were 
also  trees  of  the  specie  called  Survan;  these  two 
words  are  very  vaguely  used  in  the  inscriptions,  and 


208  DESTRUCTION    OF    TEE 

appear  to  refer  rather  to  the  quality  and  appearance 
of  the  trees  than  to  the  exact  species.  Ermi  is  used 
for  a  tall  fine  tree :  it  is  used  for  the  pine,  cedar,  and 
ash.  I  have  here  translated  the  word  "  pine,"  and 
survan  I  have  translated  "  cedar."  In  one  inscrip- 
tion Lebanon  is  said  to  be  the  country  of  survan^  in 
allusion  to  its  cedar  trees. 

This  section  of  the  Izdubar  legends  was  un- 
doubtedly of  great  importance,  for,  although  it  was 
disfigured  by  the  poetical  adornments  deemed  neces- 
sary to  give  interest  to  the  narrative,  yet  of  itself,  as 
it  described  the  overthroAv  of  a  dynasty  and  the 
accession  of  Izdubar  to  the  throne,  it  has  interest  for 
us  in  spite  of  its  mutilated  condition.  When  I  pub- 
lished my  "  Assyrian  Discoveries "  none  of  these 
fragments  were  in  condition  for  publication,  but  I 
have  since  joined  and  restored  some  of  them,  and  the 
new  fragments  have  given  sufiicient  aid  to  enable  me 
now  to  present  them  in  some  sort,  but  it  is  quite 
possible  that  any  further  accession  of  new  fragments 
would  alter  the  arrangement  I  have  here  given. 

I  at  first  placed  in  this  division  a  fragment  of  the 
story  made  up  from  three  parts  of  a  tablet,  and  con- 
taining a  discourse  of  Heabani  to  some  trees,  but  sub- 
sequent investigation  has  caused  me  to  withdraw  this 
fragment  and  place  it  in  the  space  of  the  eighth  tablet. 

In  the  case  of  the  fourth  tablet  I  think  I  have 
fragments  of  all  six  columns,  but  some  of  these 
fragments  are  useless  until  we  have  further  frag- 
ments  to  complete  them. 


TYRANT    HUMBABA.  209 

Tablet  IY. 
Column  I. 

1 mu  .... 

2 thy  ...  . 

3 me,  return 

4 the  birds  shall  rend  him 

5 in  thy  presence 

6 of  the  forest  of  pine  trees 

7 all  the  battle 

8 may  the  birds  of  prey  surround  him 

9 that,  his  carcass  may  they  destroy 

10 to  me  and  we  will  appoint  thee  king, 

11 thou  shalt  direct  after  the  manner  of  a 

king 

12.  [Izdubar]  opened  his  mouth  and  spake, 

13.  and  said  to  Heabani: 

14.  ...  he  goes  to  the  great  palace 

15 the  breast  of  the  great  queen 

16 knowledge,  everything  he  knows 

17 establish  to  our  feet 

18 his  hand 

19 I  to  the  great  palace 

20 the  great  queen 

(Probably  over  twenty  lines  lost  here.) 

It  was  this  fragment,  which  gives  part  of  the  con- 
versation between  Heabani  and  Izdubar  previous  to 
the  attack  on  Humbaba,  which  led  me  to  the  opinion 
that   Izdubar  was  not  yet  king    of  Babylonia,   for 
P 


210  DE8TBUGTI0N    OF    TEE 

Heabani  promises  (lines  10  and  11)  that  they  will 
make  Izdubar  king  when  they  have  slain  Humbaba 
and  given  his  corpse  to  the  vultures  (lines  4,  8, 
and  9). 

Column  II. 

1 enter 

2 he  raised 

3 the  ornaments  of  her    .... 

4 the  ornaments  of  her  breast 

5 and  her  crown  I  divided 

6 of  the  earth  he  opened 

7.  he  .  .  .   .he  ascended  to  the  city 

8.  he  went  up  to  the  presence  of  Shamas  he  made 
a  sacrifice? 

9.  he  built  an  altar.     In  the  presence  of  Shamas 
he  lifted  his  hands : 

10.  Why  hast    thou   established  Izdubar,  in  thy 
heart  thou  hast  given  him  protection, 

11.  when  the  son  ....  and  he  goes 

12.  on  the  remote  path  to  Humbaba, 

13.  A  battle  he  knows  not  he  will  confront, 

14.  an  expedition  he  knows  not  he  will  ride  to, 

15.  for  long  he  will  go  and  will  return, 

16.  to  take  the  course  to  the  forest  of  pine  trees, 

17.  to  Humbaba  of  [whom  his  city  may]  he  destroy, 

18.  and  every  one  who  is  evil  whom  thou  hxitest . . . 

19.  In  the  day  of  the  year  he  will    .... 

20.  May  she  not  return  at  all,  may  she  not   .    .    . 

21.  him  to  fix   ...    . 


TYRANT   EUMBABA.  211 

(About  ten  lines  lost  here.) 
Here  we  see  that  Izdubar,  impressed  with  the 
magnitude  of  the  task  he  had  undertaken,  makes  a 
prayer  and  sacrifice  to  Shamas  to  aid  him  in  his  task. 
The  next  fragment  appears  also  to  belong  to  this 
column,  and  may  refer  to  preliminaries  for  sacrificing 
to  Ishtar,  with  a  view  also  to  gain  her  aid  in  the 
enterprise. 

This  fragment  of  Column  II.  reads 

1 neighbourhood  of  Erech  .... 

2 strong  and  .   .  . 

3.  he  burst  open  the  road  .... 

4.  and  that  city  .... 

5.  and  the  collection  .... 

6.  placed  the  people  together  .... 

7.  the  people  were  ended  .... 

8.  like  of  a  king  .... 

9.  which  for  a  long  time  had  been  made  .... 

10.  to  the  goddess  Ishtar  the  bed  .... 

11.  to  Izdubar  like  the  god  Sakim  .... 

12.  Heabani  opened  the  great  gate  of  the  house  of 
assembly  .... 

13.  for  Izdubar  to  enter  .... 

14 in  the  gate  of  the  house  .... 


Column  III. 

1.  the  corpse  of  ...   . 

2.  to   ...    . 

3.  to  the  rising  of  .   .   , 


212  DESTRUCTION    OF   THE 

4.  the  angels    .... 

5.  may  she  not  return   .... 

6.  him  to  fix    ...    . 

7.  the  expedition  which  he  knows  not   .   .    . 

8.  may  he  destroy  also   .... 

9.  of  which  he  knows    .... 
10.  the  road    .... 

Five  more  mutilated  lines,  the  rest  of  the  column 
being  lost. 

This  fragment  shows  Izdubar  still  invoking  the 
gods  for  his  coming  expedition.  Under  the  next 
column  I  have  placed  a  fragment,  the  position  and 
meaning  of  which  are  quite  unknown. 

Column  IY. — Uncertain  Fragment. 

1.  he  was  heavy   .... 

2.  Heabani  was   .... 

3.  Heabani  strong  not  rising    .... 

4.  When    .... 

5.  with  thy  song?    .... 

6.  the  sister  of  the  gods  faithful    .... 

7.  wandering  he  fixed  to   ...    . 

8.  the  sister  of  the  gods  lifted   .... 

9.  and  the  daughters  of  the  gods  grew   .... 
10.  I  Heabani    ....    he  lifted  to   ...    . 
Somewhere  here  should  be  the  story,  now  lost,  of 

the  starting  of  Izdubar  on  his  expedition  accompanied 
by  his  friend  Heabani.  The  sequel  shows  they 
arrive  at  the  palace  or  residence  of  Heabani,  which 
is  surrounded  by  a  forest  of  pine  and  cedar,  the  whole 


TYRANT    HTTMBABA.  213 

being  enclosed  by  some  barrier  or  wall,  with  a  gate 
for  entrance.  Heabani  and  Izdubar  open  this  gate 
where  the  story  reopens  on  the  fifth  column. 

CoLu^m  V. 

1.  the  sharp  weapon 

2.  to  make  men  fear  him    .... 

3.  Humbaba  poured  a  tempest  out  of  his  mouth 

4.  he  heard  the  gate  of  the  forest  [open] 

5.  the  sharp  weapon  to  make  men  fear  him  [he 
took] 

6.  and  in  the  path  of  his  forest  he   stood   and 
[waited] 

7.  Izdubar  to  him  also  [said  to  Heabani] 

Here  we  see  Humbaba  waiting  for  the  intruders, 
but  the  rest  of  the  column  is  lost ;  it  appears  to  have 
principally  consisted  of  speeches  by  Izdubar  and 
Heabani  on  the  magnificent  trees  they  saw,  and  the 
work  before  them.  A  single  fragment  of  Column  VL, 
containing  fragments  of  six  lines,  shows  them  still 
at  the  gate,  and  when  the  next  tablet,  No.  Y.,  opens, 
they  had  not  yet  entered. 

Tablet  V. 
The  fifth  tablet  is  more  certain  than  the  last ;  it 
appears  to  refer  to  the  conquest  of  Humbaba  or 
Hubaba.  I  have  only  discovered  fi-agments  of  this 
tablet,  which  opens  with  a  description  of  the  retreat 
of  Humbaba. 


214  DESTRUCTION    OF   TEE 

COLUIVIN  I. 

1.  He  stood  and  surveyed  the  forest 

2.  of  pine  trees,  he  perceived  its  height, 

3.  of  the  forest  he  perceived  its  approach, 

4.  m  the  place  where  Humbaba  went  his  step  was 
placed, 

5.  on  a  straight  road  and  a  good  path. 

6.  He  saw  the  land  of  the  pine  trees,  the  seat  of 
the  gods,  the  sanctuary  of  the  angels, 

7.  in  front  ?  of  the  seed  the  pine  tree  carried  its 
fruit, 

8.  good  was  its  shadow,  full  of  pleasure, 

9.  an  excellent  tree,  the  choice  of  the  forest, 
10 the  pine  heaped  .... 

11 for  one  kaspu  (7  miles)  .  .  . 

12 cedar  two-thirds  of  it  .  .   . 

13 grown  .... 

14 like  it  .  .  . 

(About  10  lines  lost  here.) 

25 he  looked   .... 

26 he  made  and  he    ...    . 

27 drove  to   ...   . 

28 he  opened  and   .... 

29.  Izdubar  opened  his  mouth  and  spake,  and  said 
to  [Heabani] : 

30.  Myfriena   .    .    . 

31 with  theu'  slaughter   .... 


TYRANT   HUMBABA.  215 

32 he  did  not  speak  before  her,  he  made 

with  him   .... 

33 knowledge  of  war  who  made  fighting, 

34.  in  entering  to  the  house  thou  shalt  not  fear, 

35 and  like  I  take  her  also  they   .... 

36.  to  an  end  may  they  seat    .... 

37 thy  hand   .... 

38 took  my  friend  first    .... 

39 his  heart  prepared  for  war,  that  year 

and  day  also 

40 on  his  falling  appoint  the  people 

41 slay  him,  his  corpse  may  the  birds  of 

prey  surround 

42 of  them  he  shall  make 

43 going  he  took  the  weight 

44.  they  performed  it,  their  will  they  established 


45 they  entered  into  the  forest 

Column  IL 
(Five  lines  mutilated.) 
6.  they  passed  through  the  forest   .    .    . 


7.  Humbaba   .... 

8.  he  did  not  come    ...   J 

9.  he  did  not    .... 

(Seven  lines  lost.) 
17.  heavy   .... 


216  DESTRUCTION    OF    HUMBABA. 

18,  Heabani  opened  his  mouth    .... 

19 Hiimbaba  in    .    .    .    . 

20 one  by  one  and   .... 

(Many  other  broken  lines.) 

There  are  a  few  fragments  of  CoLimns  III.,  IV., 
and  y.  and  a  small  portion  of  Column  YI.  which 
reads : 

1 cedar  to  ...  . 

2 he  placed  and  .... 

3 120  ...  .  Heabani  .... 

4 the  head  of  Humbaba  .... 

5 his  weapon  he  sharpened  .... 

6 tablet  of  the  story  of  fate  of  ...  . 

It  appears  from  the  various  mutilated  fragments 
of  this  tablet  that  Izdubar  and  Heabani  conquer  and 
slay  Humbaba  and  take  his  goods,  but  much  is  wanted 
to  connect  the  fragments. 

The  conclusion  of  this  stage  of  the  story  and 
triumph  of  Izdubar  are  given  at  the  commencement 
of  the  sixth  tablet.  It  appears,  when  the  matter  is 
stripped  of  the  marvellous  incidents  with  which  the 
poets  have  surrounded  it,  that  Izdubar  and  his  friend 
went  privately  to  the  palace  of  Humbaba,  killed  the 
monarch  and  carried  off  his  regalia,  the  death  of  the 
oppressor  being  the  signal  for  the  proclamation  of 
Babylonian  freedom  and  the  reign  of  Izdubar. 


CHArTEK    XIV. 

THE   ADVENTURES   OP  ISHTAR. 

Triurapli  of  Izdubar. — Ishtar's  love. — Her  offer  of  marriage, — 
Her  promises. — Izdubar's  answer. — Tammuz. — Amours  of  Ish- 
tar. — His  refusal. — Ishtar's  anger. — Ascends  to  Heaven. — The 
bull.— Slain  by  Izdubar. — Ishtar's  curse. — Izdubar's  triumph. — 
The  feast. — Ishtar's  despair. — Her  descent  to  Hades. — Descrip- 
tion.  The  seven  gates. — The  curses. — Uddusunamir. — Sphinx. 

— Release  of  Ishtar. — Lament  for  Tammuz. 


N  this  section  I  have  included  the  sixth 
and  seventh  tablets,  which  both  pri- 
marily refer  to  the  doings  of  Ishtar. 


Tablet  VI. 
The  sixth  tablet  is  in  better  condition  than  any  of 
the  former  ones,  and  allows  of  something  like  a  con- 
nected translation. 


COLIBIN   I. 

1 his  weapon,  he  sharpened  his  weapon, 

2.  Like  a  bull  his  country  he  ascended  after  him. 


218  THE    ADVENTUBES    OF   ISHTAE. 

3.  He  destroyed  him  and  his  memorial  was  hidden. 

4.  The  country  he  wasted,  the  fastening  of  the 
crown  he  took. 

5.  Izdubar   his  crown  put  on  (the  fastening  of 
the  crown  he  took). 

6.  For  the  favour  of  Izdubar  the  princess  Ishtar 
lifted  her  eyes : 

7.  I  will  take  thee  Izdubar  as  husband, 

8.  thy  oath  to  me  shall  be  thy  bond, 

9.  thou  shalt  be  husband  and  I  will  be  thy  wife. 

10.  Thou  shalt  drive  in  a  chariot  of  ukni  stone 
and  gold, 

11.  of   which  the  body  is  gold  and  splendid  its 
pole. 

12.  Thou  shalt  acquire  days  of  great  conquests, 

13.  to  Bitani  in  the  country  where  the  pine  trees 
grow. 

14.  May  Bitani  at  thy  entrance 

15.  to  the  river  Euphrates  kiss  thy  feet, 

16.  There  shall  be  under  thee  kings,  lords,  and 
princes. 

17.  The  tribute  of  the  mountains  and  plains  they 
shall  bring  to  thee,  taxes 

18.  they  shall  give  thee,  may  thy  herds  and  flocks 
bring  forth  twins, 

19 mules  be  swift 

20 in  the  chariot  strong  not  weak 

21 in   the   yoke.      A  rival  may  there 

not  be. 


THE    ADVENTURES    OF    ISHTAB.         219 

22.  Izdubar  opened  his  mouth  and  spake,  and 

23.  said  to  the  princess  Ishtar : 

24 to  thee  thy  possession 

25 body  and  rottenness 

26 baldness  and  famine 

27 instruments  of  divinity 

28 instruments  of  royalty 

29 storm 

30 he  poured 

31 was  destroyed 

32 thy  possession 

33 sent  in 

34.  .   .  .  after  ....  ended  wind  and  showers 

35.  palace  ....  courage 

36.  beauty  ....  cover  her 

37.  he  said  ....  carry  her 

38.  body  glorious  ....  carry  her 

39.  oTand  ....  tower  of  stone 

o 

40.  let  not  be  placed  ....  land  of  the  enemy 

41.  body  ....  her  lord 

42.  let  them  not  marry  thee  ....  for  ever 

43.  let  not  praise  thee  ....  he  ascended 

44.  I  take  also  the  torch  ?  .  .  .  .  destroy  thee 

COLUIMN   II. 

1.  Which  alone  ....  her  side 

2.  to  Dumuzi  the  husband  .   .    .  .  of  thee, 

3.  country  after  country  mourn  his  love. 

4.  The  ^nld  eairle  also  thou  didst  love  and 


220       THE    ADVENTURES    OF    ISHTAB. 

5.  thou  didst  strike  him,  and  his  wings  thou  didst 
break ; 

6.  he  stood  in  the  forest  and  begged  for  his  wings. 

7.  Thou  didst  love  also  a  lion  complete  in  might, 

8.  thou  didst  draw  out  by  sevens  his  claws. 

9.  Thou  didst  love  also  a  horse  glorious  in  war, 

10.  he  poured  out  to  the  end  and  extent  his  love, 

11.  After   seven  kaspu  (fourteen  hours)  his  love 
was  not  sweet, 

12.  shaking  and  tumultuous  was  his  love. 

13.  To  his  mother  Silele  he  was  weeping  for  love. 

14.  Thou  didst  love  also  a  ruler  of  the  country, 

15.  and  continually  thou  didst  break  his  weapons. 

16.  Every  day  he  propitiated  thee  with  offerings, 

17.  Thou  didst  strike  him  and  to  a  leopard  thou 
didst  change  him, 

18.  his  own  city  drove  him  away,  and 

19.  his  dogs  tore  his  wounds. 

20.  Thou  didst  love  also  Isullanu  the  husbandman 
of  thy  father, 

21.  who  continually  was  subject  to  thy  order, 

22.  and  every  day  delighted  in  thy  portion. 

23.  In  thy  taking  him  also  thou  didst  turn  cruel,  - 

24.  Isullanu  thy  cruelty  resisted, 

25.  and  thy  hand  was  brought  out  and  thou  didst 
strike?  .... 

26.  Isullanu  said  to  thee  : 

27.  To  me  why  dost  thou  come 

28.  mother  thou  wilt  not  be  and  I  do  not  eat, 

29.  of  eaten  food  for  beauty  ?  and  charms  ? 


THE    ADVENTURES    OF    IS H TAB.         221 

30.  trembling  and  faiiitness  overcome  me 

31.  Thou  hearest  this  .... 

32.  thou  didst  strike  him,  and  to  a  pillar?  thou 
didst  change  him, 

33.  thou    didst   place   him   in   the   midst   of  the 
ground  .... 

34.  he  riseth  not  up,  he  goeth  not  .... 

35.  And  me  thou  dost  love,  and  like  to  them  thou 
[wilt  serve  me]. 

36.  Ishtar  on  her  hearing  this, 

37.  Ishtar  was  angry  and  to  heaven  she  ascended, 

38.  and  Ishtar  went  to  the  presence  of  Anu  her 
father, 

39.  to  the  presence  of  Anatu  her  mother  she  went 
and  said : 

40.  Father,  Izdubar  hates  me,  and 

-  Column  III. 

1 .  Izdubar  despises  my  beauty, 

2.  my  beauty  and  my  charms. 

3.  Anu  opened  his  mouth  and  spake,  and 

4.  said  to  the  princess  Ishtar: 

5.  ]\Iy  daughter  thou  shalt  remove  .... 

6.  and  Izdubar  will  count  thy  beauty, 

7.  thy  beauty  and  thy  charms. 

8.  Ishtar  o])encd  her  mouth  and  spake,  and 

9.  said  to  Anu  her  father : 


222        TEE    ADVENTURES    OF    ISHTAE. 

10.  My  father,  create  a  divine  bull  and 

11.  Izdubar  .... 

12.  when  he  is  filled  .... 

13.  I  will  strike  .... 

14.  I  will  join  .... 
15 u  .  .  .  . 

16.  over  .... 

17.  Ann  opened  his  mouth  and  spake,  and 

18.  said  to  the  princess  Ishtar: 

19 thou  shalt  join  .... 

20 of  noble  names 

21 mashi  .... 

22 which  is  magnified  .  .  . 

23.  Ishtar  opened  her  mouth  and  spake,  and 

24.  said  to  Anu  her  father : 
25 I  will  strike 

26 I  will  break 

27 of  noble  names 

28 reducer 

29 of  foods 

30    ...  .  of  him 

(Some  lines  lost  here.) 

Column  IV. 
(Some  lines  lost.) 

1 warriors 

2 to  the  midst 

3 three  hundred  warriors 


TEE    ADVENTURES    OF    I  SETAE.         223 

4 to  the  midst 

5 slay  Heabani 

6.  in  two  divisions  he  parted  in  the  midst  of  it 

7,  two  hundred  warriors  ,  .  .  .  made,  the  divine 
bull  .... 

8.  in  the  third  division  ....  his  horns 

9,  Heabani  struck?  ....  his  might 

10.  and  Heabani  pierced  ....  joy  .... 

11.  the   divine   bull   by  his   head   he  took   hold 
of  ...  . 

12.  the  lenofth  of  his  tail  .... 


13.  Heabani  opened  his  mouth  and  spake,  and 

1 4.  said  to  Izdubar : 

15.  Friend  we  will  stretch  out  .... 

16.  then  we  will  overthrow  .... 

17.  and  the  might  .... 

18.  may  it  ...  . 

(Three  lines  lost.) 

22 hands  ....  to  Yul  and  Nebo 

23 tarka  ....  um  .... 

24 Heabani  took   hold  ....  the   divine 

bull 

25 he  ...  .  also  ....  by  his  tail 

26 Heabani 

CoLUJiN  y. 

1.  And  Izdubar  like  a  .  .  .  . 

2.  might  and  .... 


224       TEE    ADYENTUEES    OF    I8HTAB. 

3.  ill  the  vicinity  of  the    middle   of  his  horns 
and  .... 

4.  from  the  city  he  destroyed,  the  heart  .... 

5.  to  the  presence  of  Shamas  .... 

6.  he   had   extended   to   the    presence    of    Sha- 


mas 


7.,  he  placed  at  the  side  the  bulk  .... 

8.  And  Ishtar  ascended  unto  the  wall  of  Erech 
Suburi, 

9,  destroyed  the  covering  and  uttered  a  curse : 

10.  I   curse    Izdubar   who   dwells   here,   and   the 
winged  bull  has  slain. 

o 

11.  Heabani  heard  the  speech  of  Ishtar, 

12.  and  he  cut  off  the  member  of  the  divine  bull 
and  before  her  threw  it ; 

13.  I  answer  it,  I  will  take  thee  and  as  in  this 

14.  I  have  heard  thee, 

15.  the  curse  I  will  turn  against  thy  side. 

16.  Ishtar  gathered  her  maidens 

17.  Samhati  and  Harimati, 

18.  and  over   the   member    of  the  divine   bull  a 
mourning  she  made. 

19.  Izdubar  called  on  the  people  .... 

20.  all  of  them, 

21.  and  the  weight  of  his  horns  the  young  men 
took, 

22.  30  manas  of  zamat  stone  within  them, 

23.  the  sharpness  of  the  points  was  destroyed, 

24.  6  gurs  its  mass  together. 


TEE    ABVENTUHES    of   ISHTAB.        225 

25.  To  the  ark  of  his  god  Sarturda  he  dedicated  it ; 

26.  he  took  it  in  and  worshipped  at  his  fire; 

27.  in  the  river  Euphrates  they  washed  their  hands, 

28.  and  they  took  and  went- 

29.  round  the  city  of  Erech  riding, 

30.  and   the    assembly   of    the    chiefs   of    Erech 
marked  it. 

31.  Izdubar  to  the  inhabitants  of  Erech 
32 a  proclamation  made. 

CoLURm  VI. 

1.  "  Any  one  of  ability  among  the  chiefs, 

2.  Any  one  noble  among  men, 

3.  Izdubar  is  able  among  the  chiefs, 

4.  Izdubar  is  noble  among  men, 
5 placed  hearing 

6 vicinity,  not  of  the  inhabitants 

7 him." 

8.  Izdubar  in  his  palace  made  a  rejoicing, 

9.  the  chiefs  reclining  on  couches  at  night, 

10.  Heabani   lay   down,    slept,    and  a  dream  he 
dreamed. 

11.  Heabani  spake  and  the  dream  he  explained, 

12.  and  said  to  Izdubar. 

Tablet  VII. 

The  seventh  tablet  opens  with  the  words,  "  Friend 

why  do  the  gods  take  council."     I  am  uncertain  if  I 

have  found  any  other  portion  of  this  tablet,  but  I 

have  provisionally  placed  here  part  of  a  remarkable 

Q 


226       TEE    ADVENTURES    OF    I8HTAB. 

fragment,  with  a  continuation  of  the  story  of  Ishtar. 
It  appears  that  this  goddess,  failing  in  her  attempt  in 
heaven  to  avenge  herself  on  Izdubar  for  his  slight, 
resolved  to  descend  to  hell,  to  search  out,  if  possible, 
new  modes  of  attacking  him. 

Columns  I.  and  11.  are  lost,  the  fragments  recom- 
mencing on  column  III. 

Column  III. 

1 people  ?  to  destroy  his  hand  ap- 
proached 

2 raise  in  thy  presence 

3 like  before 

4 Zaidu  shall  accomplish  the  wish  of  his 

heart 

5.  with  the  female  Samhat  ....  he  takes 

6 thee,  the  female  Samhat  will  expel  thee 

7 ends  and  ....  good 

8 kept  by  the  great  jailor 

9 hke  going  down  they  were  angry?  let 

them  weep  for  thee 

10.  .  .  .  goods  of  the  house  of  thy  fullness 

11.  .  .  .  like  death  ....  of  thy  depression 
12 for  the  females 

13 let  them  bow 

14 sink  down 

15 those  who  are  collected 

16 she 

17 placed  in  thy  house 

18 occupy  thy  seat 


THE    ADVEXTUBES    OF    ISHTAB.       227 

19 tliy  resting  place 

20 thy  feet 

21 may  they  destroy 

22 thee  may  they  invoke 

23 they  gave 

After  many  lines  destroyed,  the  story  recommences 
in  the  fourth  column. 

Column  TV. 

1.  [To  Hades  the  country  unseen]  I  turn  myself, 

2.  I  spread  like  a  bird  my  wings. 

3.  I  descend,  I  descend  to  the  house  of  darkness, 
to  the  dwelling  of  the  god  Irkalla : 

4.  To  the  house  entering  which  there  is  no  exit, 

5.  to  the  road  the  course  of  which  never  returns: 

6.  To  the  house  in  which  the  dwellers  long  for  light, 

7.  the  place  where  dust  is  their  nourishment  and 
their  food  mud. 

8.  Its   chiefs  also   are   like   birds   covered   with 
feathers 

9.  and  light  is  never  seen,  in  darkness  they  dwell. 

10.  In  the  house  my  friend  which  I  will  enter, 

11.  for  me  is  treasured  up  a  crown; 

12.  with  those  wearing  crowns  who  from  days  of 
old  ruled  the  earth, 

13.  to  whom  the  gods  Anu  and  Bel  have  given 
terrible  names. 

14.  The  food  is  made  carrion,  they  drink  stagnant 
water. 


228         THE    ADVENTURES    OF    ISETAB. 

15.  In  the  house  my  friend  which  I  will  enter, 

16.  dwell  the  chiefs  and  unconquered  ones, 

17.  dwell  the  bards  and  great  men, 

18.  dweU  the  monsters  of  the  deep  of  the  great  gods, 

19.  it  is  the  dwelling  of  Etana,  the  dwelling  of  Ner, 
20 the  queen  of  the  lower  regions  Ninkigal 

21.  the  mistress  of  the  fields  the  mother  of  the 
queen  of  the  lower  regions  before  her  submits, 

22.  and  there  is  not  any  one  that  stands  against 
her  in  her  presence. 

23.  I  will  approach  her  and  she  will  see  me 

24.  ...  and  she  will  bring  me  to  her 

Here  the  story  is  again  lost,  columns  V.  and  VI. 
being  absent.  It  is  evident  that  in  the  third  column 
some  one  is  speaking  to  Ishtar  trying  to  persuade  her 
not  to  descend  to  Hades,  while  in  the  fourth  column 
the  goddess,  who  is  suffering  all  the  pangs  of  jealousy 
and  hate,  revels  in  the  dark  details  of  the  description 
of  the  lower  regions,  and  declares  her  determination 
to  go  there. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  part  of  the  legend 
is  closely  connected  with  the  beautiful  story  of  the 
Descent  of  Ishtar  into  Hades  on  a  tablet  which  I 
published  in  the  "  Daily  Telegraph,"  in  fact  I  think 
that  tablet  to  have  been  an  extract  from  this  part  of 
the  Izdubar  legends,  and  it  so  closely  connects  itself 
with  the  story  here  that  I  give  it  as  part  of  the  sequel 
to  this  tablet. 

The  descent  of  Ishtar  into  Hades  from  K. 
1.  To  Hades  the  land  of  ...  . 


THE    ADVENTURES    OF    ISHTAB.       229 

2.  Ishtar  daughter  of  Sin  (the  moon)  her  ear  in- 
clined ; 

3.  inchned  also  the  daughter  of  Sin  her  ear, 

4.  to  the  house  of  darkness  the  dweUing  of  the 
god  Irkalla, 

5 .  to  the  house  entering  which  there  is  no  exit, 

6.  to  the  road  the  course  of  which  never  returns, 

7.  to  the  house  which  on  entering  it  they  long  for 
light, 

8.  the  place  where  dust  is  their  nourishment  and 
their  food  mud. 

9.  Light  is  never  seen  in  darkness  they  dwell, 

10.  its   chiefs   also   are   like   birds   covered  with 
feathers, 

11.  over  the  door  and  bolts  is  scattered  dust. 

12.  Ishtar  on  her  arrival  at  the  gate  of  Hades, 

13.  to  the  keeper  of  the  gate  a  command  she  called : 

14.  Keeper  of  the  waters  open  thy  gate, 

15.  open  thy  gate  that  I  may  enter. 

16.  If  thou  openest  not  the  gate  and  I  am  not  ad- 
mitted ; 

17.  I  will  strike  the  door  and  the  door  posts  I  will 
shatter, 

18.  I  will  strike  the  hinges  and  I  will  burst  open 
the  doors ; 

19.  I  will  raise  up  the  dead  devourers  of  the  living, 

20.  over  the  living  the  dead  shall  triumph. 

21.  The  keeper  his  mouth  opened  and  spake, 

22.  and  called  to  the  princess  Ishtar: 

23.  Stay  lady  do  not  do  this, 


230        THE    ADVENTURES    OF    ISHTAB. 

24.  let  me  go  and  thy  speech  repeat  to  the  queen 
Ninkigal. 

25.  The  keeper  entered  and  called  to  Ninkigal: 

26.  this  water  thy  sister  Ishtar  .... 
27 of  the  great  vaults  .... 

28.  Ninkigal  on  her  hearing  this 

29.  like  the  cutting  off  of  .   .  .  . 

>80.  like  the  bite  of  an  insect  it  ...  . 

31.  Will  her  heart  support  it,  will  her  spirit  uphold 
it; 

32.  this  water  I  with  .... 

33.  like  food  eaten  like  jugs  of  water  drank  .  .  . 

34.  Let  her  mourn  for  the  husbands  who  forsake 
their  wives. 

35.  Let  her  mourn  for  the  wives  who  from  the 
bosom  of  their  husbands  depart. 

36.  for  the  children  who  miscarry  let  her  mourn, 
who  are  not  born  in  their  proper  time. 

37.  Go  keeper  open  thy  gate 

38.  and  enclose  her  like  former  visitors. 

39.  The  keeper  went  and  opened  his  gate, 

40.  on  entering  lady  may  the  city  of  Cutha  be    .  . 

41.  the  palace  of  Hades  is  rejoicing  at  thy  presence. 

42.  The  first  gate  he  passed  her  through  and  drew 
her  in,  and  he  took  away  the  great  crown  of  her  head. 

43.  Why  keeper  hast  thou  taken  away  the  great 
crown  of  my  head. 

44.  On  Entering  lady,  the  goddess  of  the  lower 
regions  does  thus  with  her  visitors. 

45.  The  second  gate  he  passed  her  thi-ough  and 


THE    ADVENTURES    OF   ISHTAB.         231 

drew  her   in,  and  he  took  away  the  earrings  of  her 
ears. 

46.  Why  keeper  hast  thou  taken  away  the  earrings 
of  my  ears. 

47.  On  entering  Lady,  the  goddess  of  the  lower 
regions  does  thus  with  her  visitors. 

48.  The  third  gate  he  passed  her  through  and 
drew  her  in,  and  he  took  away  the  necklace  of  her 
neck. 

49.  Why  keeper  hast  thou  taken  away  the  necklace 
of  my  neck. 

50.  On  entering  Lady,  the  goddess  of  the  lower 
regions  does  thus  with  her  visitors. 

51.  The  fourth  gate  he  passed  her  through  and 
drew  her  in,  and  he  took  away  the  ornaments  of  her 
breast. 

52.  Why  keeper  hast  thou  taken  away  the  orna- 
ments of  my  breast. 

53.  On  entering  Lady,  the  goddess  of  the  lower 
regions  does  thus  with  her  visitors. 

54.  The  fifth  gate  he  passed  her  through  and  drew 
her  in,  and  he  took  away  the  binding  girdle  of  her 
waist. 

55.  Why  keeper  hast  thou  taken  away  the  binding 
girdle  of  my  waist. 

•    56.  On  entering  lady,  the  goddess  of  the  lower 
regions  does  thus  with  her  visitors. 

57.  The  sixth  gate  he  passed  her  through  and 
drew  her  in,  and  he  took  away  the  bracelets  of  her 
hands  and  her  feet. 


232  THE    ADVENTURES    OF   ISETAB. 

58.  Why  keeper  hast  thou  taken  away  the  brace- 
lets of  my  hands  and  my  feet. 

59.  On  entering  lady,  the  goddess  of  the  lower 
regions  does  thus  with  her  visitors. 

60.  The  seventh  gate  he  passed  her  through  and 
drew  her  in,  and  he  took  away  the  .covering  cloak  of 
her  body. 

61.  Why  keeper  hast  thou  taken  away  the  cover- 
ing cloak  of  my  body. 

62.  On  entering  lady,  the  goddess  of  the  lower 
regions  does  thus  with  her  visitors. 

63.  When  a  long  time  Ishtar  to  Hades  had  de- 
scended ; 

64.  Ninkigal  saw  her  and  at  her  presence  was  angry, 

65.  Ishtar  did  not  consider  and  at  her  she  swore. 

66.  Ninkigal  her  mouth  opened  and  spake, 

67.  to  Simtar  her  attendant  a  command  she  called : 

68.  Go  Simtar  [take  Ishtar  from]  me  and 

69.  take  her  out  to  ...  .  Ishtar 

70.  diseased  eyes  strike  her  with, 

71.  diseased  side  strike  her  with, 

72.  diseased  feet  strike  her  with, 

73.  diseased  heart  strike  her  with, 

74.  diseased  head  strike  her  with, 

75.  to  her  the  whole  of  her  [strike  with  disease]. 

76.  After  Ishtar  the  lady  [to  Hades  had  descended], . 

77.  with  the  cow  the  bull  would  not  unite,  and  the 
ass  the  female  ass  would  not  approach ; 

78.  and  the  female  slave  would  not  approach  the 
vicinity  of  the  master. 


TEE    ADVENTURES    OF   ISHTAB.        233 

79.  The  master  ceased  in  his  command, 

80.  the  female  slave  ceased  in  her  gift. 


Column  II. 

1.  Papsukul  the  attendant  of  the  gods,  set  his  face 
against  them 

2.  turned    ....  full  ...  . 

3.  Samas  (the  sun)  went   and  in  the  presence  of 
his  father  he  wept, 

4.  into  the  presence  of  Hea  the  king  he  went  in 
tears : 

5.  Ishtar  to  the  lower  regions  has  descended,  she 
has  not  returned. 

6.  "When  a  long  time   Ishtar  to  Hades  had  de- 
scended, 

7.  with  the  cow  the  bull  would  not  unite,  and  the 
ass  the  female  ass  would  not  approach; 

8.  and  the  female  slave  would  not  approach  the 
vicinity  of  the  master. 

9.  The  master  ceased  in  his  command, 

10.  the  female  slave  ceased  in  her  gift. 

11.  Hea  in  the  wisdom  of  his  heart  considered, 

12.  and  made  Uddusu-namu'  the  sphinx : 

13.  Go  Uddusu-namir  towards  the  gates  of  Hades 
set  thy  face ; 

14.  may  the  seven  gates  of  Hades  be  opened  at 
thy  presence ; 

15.  may  Ninkigal    see   thee    and   rejoice    at    thy 
arrival. 


234  TEE    ADVENTURES    OF    ISHTAB. 

16.  That  her  heart  be  satisfied,  and  her  anger  be 
removed ; 

17.  appease  her  by  the  names  of  the  great  gods. 

18.  Raise  thy  heads,  on  the  flowing  stream  set  thy 
mind, 

19.  when  command  over  the  flowing  stream  shall 
be  given,  the  waters  in  the  midst  mayest  thou  drink. 

20.  Ninkigal  on  her  hearing  this, 

21.  beat  her  breasts  and  wrung  her  hands, 

22.  she  turned  at  this  and  comfort  would  not  take  : 

23.  go   Uddusu-namir  may  the  great  jailor  keep 
thee, 

24.  May  food  of  the  refuse  of  the  city  be  thy  food, 

25.  May  the  drains  of  the  city  be  thy  drink, 

26.  May  the  shadow  of  the  dungeon  be  thy  resting 
place, 

27.  May  a  slab  of  stone  be  thy  seat 

28.  May  bondage  and  want  strike  thy  refuge 

29.  Ninkigal  her  mouth  opened  and  spake, 

30.  to  Simtar  her  attendant  a  command  she  called  : 

31.  Go  Simtar  strike  the  palace  of  judgment, 

32.  the  stone  slab  press  upon  with  the  pa-stone, 

33.  bring  out  the  spirit,  and  seat  it  on  the  golden 
throne . 

34.  Over  Ishtar  pour  the  water  of  life  and  bring 
her  before  me. 

-35.   Simtar  went,  he  struck  the  palace  of  judgment, 

36.  the  stone  slab  he  pressed  upon  with  the  pa-stone, 

37.  he  brought  out  the  spirit  and  seated  it  on  the 
golden  throne. 


THE    ADVENTURES    OF    ISHTAB.         235 

38.  On  Ishtar  he  poured  the  water  of  life  and 
brought  her. 

39.  The  first  gate  he  passed  her  out  of,  and  he 
restored  to  her  the  covering  cloak  of  her  body. 

40.  The  second  gate  he  passed  her  out  of,  and  he 
restored  to  her  the  bracelets  of  her  hands  and  her 
feet. 

41.  The  third  gate  he  passed  her  out  of,  and  he 
restored  to  her  the  bindins;  o-irdle  of  her  waist. 

42.  The  fourth  gate  he  passed  her  out  of,  and  he 
restored  to  her  the  ornaments  of  her  breast. 

43.  The  fifth  gate  he  passed  her  out  of,  and  he 
restored  to  her  the  necklace  of  her  neck. 

44.  The  sixth  gate  he  passed  her  out  of,  and  he 
restored  to  her  the  earrings  of  her  ears. 

45.  The  seventh  gate  he  passed  her  out  of,  and  he 
restored  to  her  the  great  crown  of  her  head. 

46.  When  her  freedom  she  would  not  grant  to  thee 
to  her  also  turn, 

47.  to  Dumuzi  the  husband  of  her  youth ; 

48.  beautiful  waters  pour  out  beautiful  boxes  .... 

49.  in  splendid  clothing  dress  him,  bracelets?  of 
jewels  place   .... 

50.  May  Samhat  appease  her  grief, 

51.  and  Belele  give  to  her  comfort. 

52.  Precious  stones  like  eyes  are  not   .... 

53.  her  brother  was  slain?  ....  she  struck, 
Belele  gave  her  comfort. 

54.  Precious  stones  like  birds'  eyes  are  not  better 
than  thee, 


236         TEE    ADVENTURES    OF    ISHTAB. 

55.  my  only  brother  thou  didst  never  wrong  me 

56.  In  the  day  that  Dumuzi  adorned  me,  with 
rings  of  rubies,  with  bracelets  of  emeralds,  with  him 
adorned  me, 

57.  with  him  adorned  me,  men  mourners  and 
women  mourners, 

58.  on  a  bier  may  they  raise,  and  gashes  ?  may 
they  cut? 

This  remarkable  text  shows  Ishtar  fulfilling  her 
threat  and  descending  to  Hades,  but  it  does  not 
appear  that  she  accomplished  her  vengeance  against 
Izdubar  yet. 

At  the  opening  of  the  sixth  tablet  we  have  the 
final  scene  of  the  contest  with  Humbaba.  Izdubar, 
after  slaying  Humbaba,  takes  the  crown  from  the 
head  of  the  monarch  and  places  it  on  his  own 
head,  thus  signifying  that  he  assumed  the  empire. 
There  were,  as  we  are  informed  in  several  places, 
kings,  lords,  and  princes,  merely  local  rulers,  but 
these  generally  submitted  to  the  greatest  power; 
and  just  as  they  had  bowed  to  Humbaba,  so  they 
were  ready  now  to  submit  to  Izdubar.  The  kingdom 
promised  to  Izdubar  when  he  started  to  encounter 
Humbaba  now  became  his  by  right  of  superior  force, 
and  he  entered  the  halls  of  the  palace  of  Erech  and 
feasted  with  his  heroes. 

We  now  come  to  a  curious  part  of  the  story,  the 
romance  of  Izdubar  and  Ishtar.  One  of  the  strange 
and  dark  features  of  the  Babylonian  religion  was  the 
Ishtar  or  Yenus  worship,  which  was  an  adoration  of 


TEE    ADVENTURES    OF    I8ETAE.         237 

the  reproductive  power  of  nature,  accompanied  by 
ceremonies  which  were  a  reproach  to  the  country. 
The  city  of  Erech,  originally  a  scat  of  the  worship  of 
Anu,  was  now  one  of  the  foremost  cities  in  this 
Ishtar  worship.  Certainly  Ishtar  is  represented  in 
the  legends  as  living  at  the  time,  and  as  being  the 
widow  of  Dumuzi,  the  ruler  of  Erech,  and  it  is  pos- 


W' 


BOWAKETEH  MoUND  AT  WaEKA  (KRECH),  SITE  OF  THE  TeMPLE  OF  ISHTAR. 

sible  there  may  have  been  some  basis  for  the  story 
in  a  tradition  of  some  dissolute  queen  whose  favour 
Izdubar  refused ;  but  we  have  to  remember  that  these 
Izdubar  legends  were  not  intended  for  history,  but 
for  historical  romance,  and  the  whole  story  of  Ishtar 
may  be  only  introduced  to  show  the  hero's  opposi- 
tion to  this  worship,  or  to  make  an  attack  upon  the 
superstition  by  quoting  Izdubar's  supposed  defiance 
of  the  goddess. 


238       TEE    ADVENTURES    OF   ISHTAB. 

The  thirteenth  to  sixteenth  lines  of  the  first  column 
appear  to  mark  out  the  ultimate  boundaries  of  the 
empire  of  Izdubar,  and  the  limits  mark  somewhere 
about  the  extent  assigned  to  the  kingdom  of  Nimrod 
by  tradition.  The  northern  boundary  was  Bitani  by 
the  Armenian  mountains,  the  eastern  boundary 
the  mountain  ranges  which  separated  Assyria  and 
Babylonia  from  Media,  and  the  south  was  the  Persian 
Gulf,  beyond  which  nothing  was  known,  and  the 
Arabian  desert,  which  also  bounded  part  of  the  west. 
On  the  western  boundary  his  dominions  stretched 
along  the  region  of  the  Euphrates,  perhaps  to  Orfa, 
a  city  which  has  still  traditions  of  Nimrod. 

In  the  course  of  the  answer  Izdubar  gives  to 
Ishtar,  he  calls  to  mind  the  various  amours  of  Ishtar, 
and  I  cannot  avoid  the  impression  that  the  author 
has  here  typified  the  universal  power  of  love,  extend- 
ing: over  high  and  low,  men  and  animals. 

The  subsequent  lines  show  Ishtar  obtaining  from 
her  father  the  creation  of  a  bull  called  "  the  divine 
bull ;"  this  animal  I  have  supposed  to  be  the  winged 
bull  so  often  depicted  on  Assyrian  sculpture,  but  I 
am  now  inclined  to  think  that  this  bull  is  represented 
without  wings.  The  struggle  with  a  bull,  represented 
on  the  Babylonian  cylinder,  figured  here,  and 
numerous  similar  representations,  seem  to  refer  to 
this  incident.  There  is  no  struggle  with  a  winged 
bull  on  the  Izdubar  cylinders. 

It  would  appear  from  the  broken  fragments  of 
column  IV.  that  Heabani  laid  hold  of  the  bull  by 


THE    ADVENTURES    OF  I8HTAB. 


239 


the  head  and  tail  while  Izdubar  killed  it,  and  Hea- 
bani  in  the  engraving  is  represented  holding  the  bull 
by  its  head  and  tail. 

At  the  close  of  the  sixth  tablet  the  story  is  again 
lost,  only  portions  of  the  thu*d  and  fourth  columns 
of  the  next  tablet  being  preserved,  but  light  is  thrown 
on  this  portion  of  the  narrative  by  the  remarkable 
tablet  describing  the  descent  of  Ishtar  into  Hades. 
I  think  it  probable  that  this  tablet  was  in  great  part 


IZDLBAK  AND  HeABANI  IN  CONFLICT  WITH  THE  LlON  AND  BcLL. 


an  extract  from  the  seventh   tablet  of  the  Izdubar 
legends. 

The  tablet  with  the  descent  of  Ishtar  into  Hades- 
was  first  noticed  by  Mr.  Fox  Talbot  in  the  "  Transac- 
tions of  the  Royal  Societ}^  of  Literature,"  but  he 
was  entirely  abroad  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  words. 
After  this  I  published  a  short  notice  of  it  in  the 
"  North  British  Review,"  to  clear  up  some  of  the 
difficulties,  and  it  has  been  subsequently  translated 
by  Lenormant  and  Oppert,  and  re-translated  by  Mr. 
Fox  Talbot.     These  translations  and  various  notices 


240        THE    ADVENTUBES    OF    ISETAB. 

of  the  Deluge  tablets  will  be  found  in  "  Les  Premieres 
Civilisations "  of  Francois  Lenormant,  Paris,  1874, 
a  small  pamphlet  on  the  Descent  of  Ishtar,  by  Pro- 
fessor Oppert,  and  various  papers  on  these  subjects 
by  Mr.  Fox  Talbot,  in  the  "  Transactions  of  the 
Society  of  Biblical  Archaeology,"  vols,  i.,  ii.,  and  iii., 
and  my  own  translation  in  the  "  Daily  Telegraph," 
August  19,  1873. 

The  story  of  the  descent  of  Ishtar  into  Hades  is 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  myths  in  the  Assyrian 
inscriptions ;  it  has,  however,  received  so  much  atten- 
tion, and  been  so  fully  commented  upon  by  various 
scholars,  that  little  need  be  said  on  the  subject  here. 

It  is  evident  that  we  are  dealing  with  the  same 
goddess  as  the  Ishtar,  daughter  of  Anu,  in  the 
Izdubar  legends,  although  she  is  here  called  daughter 
of  Sin  (the  moon  god) . 

The  description  of  the  region  of  Hades  is  most 
graphic,  and  vividly  portrays  the  sufferings  of  the 
prisoners  there ;  but  there  are  several  difficulties  in 
the  story,  as  there  is  no  indication  in  some  cases  as  to 
who  acts  or  speaks.  Uddusu-namir,  created  by  Hea 
to  deliver  Ishtar,  is  described  as  a  composite  animal, 
half  bitch  and  half  man,  with  more  than  one  head, 
and  appears  to  correspond,  in  some  respects,  to  the 
Cerberus  of  the  classics,  which  had  three  heads  ac- 
cording to  some,  fifty  heads  according  to  others. 

The  latter  part  of  the  tablet  is  obscure,  and  appears 
to  refer  to  the  custom  of  lamenting  for  Dumuzi  or 
Tammuz. 


Chapter  XY. 

ILLN"ESS   AND   WANDERINGS   OF   IZDUBAR. 

Heabani  and  the  trees. — Illness  of  Izdiibar.  —  Death  of 
Heabani. — Journey  of  Izdubar. — His  dream. — Scorpion  men. — 
The  Desert  of  Mas. — The  paradise. — Siduri  and  Sabitu. — Ur- 
harasi. — Water  of  death. — Ragmu. — The  convei'satioii, — w^sis- 
adra. 


F  tlie  three  tablets  in  this  sccti'^in,  the 
first  one  is  very  uncertain,  and  is  put 
together  from  two  separate  sources ;  the 
other  two  are  more  complete  and  satis- 


factor3\ 


Tablet  VIII. 
I  am  uncertain  again  if  I  have  discovered  any  of 
this  tablet;  I  provisionally  place  here  some  fragments 
of  the  first,  second,  thu'd,  and  sixth  columns  of  a 
tablet  which  may  belong  -to  it^  but  the  only  frag- 
ment worth  translating  at  present  is  one  I  have 
given  in  "Assyrian  Discoveries,"  p.  17G.  In  some 
portions  of  these  fragments  there  are  references,  as  I 
have  there  stated,  to  the  story  of  Humbaba,  but  a.s 


242  ILLNESS    AND     WANDERINGS 

the  fragment  appears  to  refer  to  the  illness  of  Izduba: 
I  think  it  belongs  here. 


Column  I. 

1.  to  his  friend  .... 
2  and  3  .   .  .  . 
4.  thy  name  ....    • 
5 

6,  his  speech  he  made  .  .  . 

7,  Izdubar  my  father  .  .  . 

8,  Izdubar  .... 
9 

10.  joined  .... 


11.  Heabani  his  mouth  opened  and  spake  and 

12.  said  to  ...  . 

13.  I  join  him  .... 

14.  in  the  .... 

15.  the  door  .... 

16.  of  ...  . 

17  and  18  ...  . 

19.  in  ...  . 

20.  Heabani  ....  carried  .  .  . 

21.  with  the  door  ".  .  .  .  thy  .  .  . 

22.  the  door  on  its  sides  does  not  .   .  . 

23.  it  has  not  aroused  her  hearing  .  .  . 

24.  for  twenty  kaspu  (140  miles)  it  is  raised  . 

25.  and  the  pine  tree  a  bush  I  see  .  .  . 

26.  there  is  not  another  like  thy  tree  .  .  . 


OF  IZDUBAE.  .  243 

27.  Six  gars  (120  feet)  is  thy  height,  two  gars  (40 
feet)  is  thy  breadth  .... 

28.  thy  circuit,  thy  contents,  thy  mass  .  .  . 

29.  thy  make  which  is  in  thee  in  the  city  of  Nipur 

30.  I  know  thy  entrance  like  this  .  .  . 

31.  and  this  is  good  .  .  . 

32.  for  I  have  his  face,  for  I  .  .  . 

33.  I  fill 

34 

35.  for  he  took  .  .  . 

36.  the  pine  tree,  the  cedar,  .  .  • 

37.  in  its  cover  ... 

38.  thou  also  .•.  .  . 

39.  may  take  .  .  . 

40.  in  the  collection  of  everything  .  .  . 

41.  a  great  destruction  .  .  . 

42.  the  whole  of  the  trees  .  .  . 

43.  in  thy  land  Izmanubani  .  .  . 

44.  thy  bush  ?  is  not  strong  .  .  . 

45.  thy  shadow  is  not  great  .  .  . 

4G.  and  thy  smell  is  not  agreeable  .  .  . 


47.  The  Izmanubani  tree  was  angry 

48.  made  a  likeness  ? 

49.  like  the  tree  .  .  . 


The  second,  third,  fourth  and  fifth  columns  appear 
to  be  entirely  absent,  the  inscription  reappearing  on 
a  fragment  of  the  sixth  column. 


244  ILLNESS    AND     WANDERINGS 

Column  II. 
(Many  lines  lost.) 

1.  Tlie  dream  wliicli  I  saw  .... 

2.  .  .  .  made  ?  the  mountain  .... 
8.  he  struck  .... 

4.  They  like  timigi  struck  .... 

5.  brought?  forth  in  the  vicinity  .... 

6.  He  said  to  his  friend  Heabani  the  dream 

7.  .  .   .  good  omen  of  the  dream  .... 

8.  the  dream  was  deceptive  .... 

9.  all  the  mountain  which  thou  didst  see  .  . 
]  0.  when  we  captured  Humbaba  and  we  .  . 

11.  .  .  .  of  his  helpers  to  thy  .... 

12.  in  the  storm  to  ...  . 

13.  For  twenty  kaspu  he  journeyed  a  stage 

14.  at  thirty  kaspu  he  made  a  halt? 

15.  in  the  presence  of  Shamas  he  dug  out  a  pit 

16.  Izdubar  ascended  to  over  .... 

17.  by  the  side  of  his  house  he  approached  . 

18.  the  mountain  was  subdued,  the  dream  . 

19.  he  made  it  and  ..... 

Column  III. 

1.  The  mountain  was  subdued,  the  dream  . 

2.  he  made  it  and  .... 

3.  .  .  .   turban?  .... 

4.  }i^  cast  him  down  and  .... 

5.  the  mountain  like  corn  of  the  field  .  .  .  , 


OF    IZDUBAB.  246 

6.  Izdubar  at  the  destruction  set  up  .  ... 

7.  Anatu  the  injurer  of  men  upon  him  struck, 

8.  and  in  the  midst  of  his  limbs  he  died. 

9.  He  spake  and  said  to  his  friend : 

10.  Friend  thou  dost  not  ask  me  why  I  am  naked, 
]  1.  thou  dost  not  inquire  of  me  why  1  am  spoiled, 

12.  God  will  not  depart,  why  do  my  limbs  burn. 

13.  Friend  I  saw  a  third  dream, 

14.  and  the  dream  which  I  saw  entirely  disappeared, 

15.  He  invoked  the  god  of  the  earth  and  desired 
death. 

16.  A  storm  came  out  of  the  darkness, 

17.  the  lightning  struck  and  kindled  a  fire, 

18.  and  came  out  the  shadow  of  death. 

19.  It  disappeared,  the  fire  sank, 

20.  he  struck  it  and  it  turned  to  a  palm  tree, 

21.  .   .  .  and  in  the  desert  thy  lord  was  proceeding. 

22.  And  Heabani  the  dream  considered  and  said 
to  Izdubar. 

The  fourth  and  fifth  columns  of  this  tablet  are 
lost.  This  part  of  the  legend  appears  to  refer  to  the 
illness  of  Izdubar. 

Column  VI. 

1.  My  friend  .  .  .  the  dream  which  is  not  .  .  . 

2.  the  day  he  dreamed  the  dream,  the  end  .  .  . 

3.  Heabani  lay  down  'also  one  day  .  .  . 

4.  which  Heabani  in  that  evening  .  .  . 

5.  the  third  day  and  the  fourth  day  which  .  .  . 


246  ILLNESS    AND    WANDEBINGS 

6.  the  fifths  sixth,  seventh,  eighth,  ninth  , 

7.  when  Heabani  was  troubled  .   .  . 

8.  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  .  .  . 

9.  Heabani  in  that  evening  ... 

10.  Izdnbar  asked  also  .  .  . 

11.  is  my  friend  hostile  to  me  .  .  . 

12.  then  in  the  midst  of  fight  .  .  . 

13.  I  turn  to  battle  and  ... 

14.  the  friend  who  in  battle  .  .  . 

15.  I  in 


It  must  here  be  noted  that  my  grounds  for  making 
this  the  eighth  tablet  are  extremely  doubtful,  it  is 
possible  that  the  fragments  are  of  different  tablets; 
but  they  fill  up  an  evident  blank  in  the  story  here, 
and  I  have  inserted  them  pending  further  discoveries 
as  to  their  true  position. 

In  the  first  column  Heabani  appears  to  be  address- 
ing certain  trees,  and  they  are  supposed  to  have  the 
power  of  hearing  and  answering  him.  Heabani 
praises  one  tree  and  sneers  at  another,  but  from  the 
mutilation  of  the  text  it  does  not  appear  why  he  acts 
so.  I  conjecture  he  was  seeking  a  charm  to  open  the 
door  he  mentions,  and  that  according  to  the  story 
this  charm  was  known  to  the  trees.  The  fragment 
of  the  sixth  column  shows  Heabani  unable  to  interpret 
a  dream,  while  Izdubar  asks  his  friend  to  fight. 

After  this  happened  the  Violent  death  of  Heabani, 
which  added  to  the  misfortunes  of  Izdubar ;  but  no 
fragment  of  this  part  of  the  story  is  preserved. 


OF   IZDUBAB.  247 

Tablet  IX. 
This  tablet  is  in  a  somewhat  better  state  tban  the 
others,  and  all  the  narrative  is  clearer  from  this  point, 
not  a  single  column  of  the  inscription  being  entirely 
lost.  The  ninth  tablet  commences  with  the  sorrow 
of  Izdubar  at  the  death  of  Heabani. 

Column  I. 

1.  Izdubar  over  Heabani  his  seer 

2.  bitterly  lamented,  and  lay  down  on  the  ground. 

3.  I  had  no  judgment  like  Heabani ; 

4.  Weakness  entered  into  my  soul ; 

5.  death  I  feared,  and  lay  down  on  the  ground. 
6..  For  the  advice  of  Hasisadra,  son  of  Ubaratutu 

7.  The  road  I  was  taking,  and  joyfully  I  went, 

8.  to  the  neighbourhood  of  the  mountains  I  took 
at  night. 

9.  a  dream  I  saw,  and  I  feared. 

10.  I  bowed  on  my  face,  and  to  Sin  (the  moon  god) 
I  prayed ; 

11.  and  into  the  presence  of  the  gods  came  my 
supplication ; 

12.  and  they  sent  peace  unto  me. 
13 dream. 

14 Sin,  erred  in  life. 

15.  precious  stones  ...  to  his  hand. 

16.  were  bound  to  his  girdle 

17.  like  the  time  .  .  .  their  .  .  .  he  struck 

18.  he  struck  ....  fruit  ?  he  broke 


2i8  ILLNESS    AND    WANDERINGS 

19.  and  ...  . 

20.  he  threw  .... 

21.  he  was  guarded  .... 

22.  the  former  name  .... 

23.  the  new  name  .... 

24.  he  carried  .... 

25.  to  ...  . 

(About  six  lines  lost  here.) 
The  second  column  shows  Izdubar  in  some  fabulous 
reo'ion,  whither  he  has  wandered  in  search  of  Hasis- 
adra.  Here  he  sees  composite  monsters  with  their  feet 
resting  in  hell,  and  their  heads  reaching  heaven. 
These  beings  are  supposed  to  guide  and  direct  the 
sun  at  its  rising  and  setting.  This  passage  is  as 
follows : — 

Column  II. 

1.  Of  the  country  hearing  him  .... 

2.  To  the  mountains  of  Mas  in  his  course  .... 

3.  who  each  day  guard  the  rising  sun. 

4.  Their  crown  was  at  the  lattice  of  heaven, 

5.  under  hell  their  feet  w^ere  placed. 

6.  The  scorpion-man  guarded  the  gate, 

7.  burning  with  terribleness,  their  appearance  was 
like  death, 

8.  the  might  of  his  fear  shook  the  forests. 

9.  At  the  rising  of  the  sun  and  the  setting  of  the 
sun,  they  guarded  the  sun. 

10.   Izdubar  saw  them  and  fear  and  terror  came 
into  his  face. 


OF   IZDUBAE.  249 

11.  Summoning  his  resolution  he  approached  be- 
fore them. 

12.  The  scorpion-man  of  his  female  asked: 

13.  Who  comes  to  us  with  the  affliction  of  god  on 
his  body 

14.  To  the  scorpion-man  his  female  answered: 

15.  The  work  of  god  is  laid  upon  the;  man, 

16.  The  scorpion-man  of  the  hero  asked, 

17 of  the  gods  the  word  he  said: 

18 distant  road 

19 come  to  my  presence 

20 of  which  the  passage  is  difficult. 

The  rest  of  this  column  is  lost.  In  it  Izdubar 
converses  with  the  monsters  and  where  the  third 
column  begins  he  is  telling  them  his  purpose,  to  seek 
Hasisadra. 

Column  III. 
(1  and  2  lost.) 

3.  He  Hasisadra  my  father 

4.  who  is  established  in  the  assembly  of  the  gods 

5.  death  and  life  [are  known  to  him] 

6.  The  monster  opened  his  mouth  and  spake 

7.  and  said  to  Izdubar 

8.  Do  it  not  Izdubar  .... 

9.  of  the  country  .... 

10.  for  twelve  kaspu  (84  miles)  [is  the  journey] 

1 1.  which  is  completely  covered  with  sand,  and 
there  is  not  a  cultivated  field, 

12.  to  the  risino-  sun  .... 


250  ILLNESS    AND     WANDERINGS 

13.  to  the  setting  sun  .... 

14.  to  the  setting  sun  .... 

15.  he  brought  out  .... 

In  this  mutilated  passage,  the  monster  describes 
the  journey  to  betaken  by  Izdubar;  there  are  now 
many  hues  Avanting,  until  we  come  to  the  fourth 
column. 

Column  IY. 

1.  in  prayer  .... 

2.  again  thou  .... 

3.  the  monster  .... 

4.  Izdubar  ,  .  .  . 

5.  go  Izdubar  .... 

6.  lands  of  Mas  .... 

7.  the  road  of  the  sun  .... 

8.  1  kaspu  he  went  .... 

9.  which  was  completely  covered  with  sand,  and 
there  was  not  a  cultivated  field, 

10.  he  was  not  able  to  look  behind  him. 

11.  2  kaspu  he  went  .... 

This  is  the  bottom  of  the  fourth  column ;  there  are 
five  lines  lost  at  the  top  of  the  fifth  column,  and  then 
the  narrative  reopens;  the  text  is,  however,  muti- 
lated and  doubtful. 

CoLURiN  y. 

6.  4  kaspu  he  went  .... 

7.  which  was  completely  covered  with  sand,  and 
there  was  not  a  cultivated  field, 

8.  he  was  not  able  to  look  behind  him. 


OF    IZDUBAB.  251 

9.  5  kaspu  lie  went  .... 

10.  which  was  completely  covered  with  sand,  and 
there  was  not  a  cultivated  field, 

11.  he  was  not  able  to  look  behind  him. 

12.  6  kaspu  he  went  .... 

13.  which  was  completely  covered  with  sand,  and 
there  was  not  a  cultivated  field, 

14.  he  was  not  able  to  look  behind  him. 

15.  7  kaspu  he  went  .... 

16.  which  was  completely  covered  with  sand,  and 
there  was  not  a  cultivated  field, 

17.  he  was  not  able  to  look  behind  him. 

18.  8  kaspu  he  went  ....  turned?  .... 

19.  which  was  completely  covered  with  sand,  and 
there  was  not  a  cultivated  field, 

20.  he  was  not  able  to  look  behind  him. 

21.  9  kaspu  he  went  ....  to  the  north 
22 his  face 

23 a  field 

24 to  look  behind  him 

25.  10  kaspu?  he  went?  ....  him 

26 meeting 

27 4  kaspu 

28 shadow  of  the  sun 

29 beautiful  situation  .... 

30.  to   the   forest   of  the   trees   of   the    gods   in 
appearance  it  was  equal. 

31.  Emeralds  it  carried  as  its  fruit 

32.  the    branches    were    encircled    to    the    points 
covered, 


252  ILLNESS    AND     WANDERINGS 

33.  Ukni  stones  it  carried  as  shoots? 

34.  the  fruit  it  carried  to  the  sight  were  large 
Some  of  the  words  in  this  fragment  are  obscure, 

but  the  general  meaning  is  clear.  In  the  next 
column  the  wanderings  of  Izdubar  are  continued, 
and  he  comes  to  a  country  near  the  sea.  Fragments 
of  several  hues  of  this  column  are  preserved,  but  too 
mutilated  to  translate  with  certainty.  The  frag- 
ments are : — 

Column  VI. 
(About  six  hues  lost.) 

1.  the  pine  tree  .... 

2.  its  nest  of  stone  ....  ukni  stone? 

3.  not  striking  the  sea  ....  jet  stones 

4.  Hke  worms?  and  caterpillars  ....  gugmi 

5.  a  bustard  it  caught?  ....  beautiful 

6.  jet  stone,  ka  stone  ....  the  goddess  Ishtar 
7 he  carried 

8.  like  ....  asgege 

9.  which  ....  the  sea 

10.  was  ....  may  he  raise 

11.  Izdubar  [saw  this]  in  his  travelling 

12.  and  he  carried  ....  that 

This  tablet  brings  Izdubar  to  the  region  of  the 
sea-coast,  but  his  way  is  then  barred  by  two  women, 
one  named  Siduri,  and  the  other  Sabitu.  His  further 
adventures  are  given  on  the  tenth  tablet,  which 
opens : 


OF   IZDUBAB.  253 

Tablet  X. 

1.  Siduri  and  Sabitu  who  in  the  land  beside  the 
sea  dwelt 

2.  dwelt  also  .... 

3.  making  a  dwelling,  making  .... 

4.  covered  with  stripes  of  affliction  in  ....  . 

5.  Izdubar  struck  with  disease  .... 

6.  illness  covering  his  .... 

7.  having  the  brand  of  the  gods  on  his  ...  . 

8.  there  was  shame  of  face  on  ...  . 

9.  to  go  on  the  distant  path  his  face  was  set. 
10.   Sabitu  afar  off  pondered, 

11..  spake  within  her  heart,  and  a  resolution  made. 

12.  Within  herself  also  she  considered: 

13.  What  is  this  message 

14.  There  is  no  one  upright  in  ...  . 

15.  And  Sabitu  saw  him  and  shut  her  place? 

16.  her  gate  she  shut,  and  shut  her  place? 

17.  And  he  Izdubar  haVing  ears  heard  her 

18.  he  struck  his  hands  and  made  .... 

19.  Izdubar  to  her  also  said  to  Sabitu: 

20.  Sabitu  why  dost  thou  shut  thy  place? 

21.  thy  gate  thou  closest  .... 

22.  I  will  strike  the  .... 

The  rest  of  this  column  is  lost,  but  I  am  able  to 
say  it  described  the  meeting  of  Izdubar  with  a  boat- 
man named  Urhamsi,  and  they  commence  together  a 
journey  by  water  in  a  boat  on  the  second  column. 


254  ILLNESS    AND     WANDEEINGS 

Very  little  of  this  column  is  preserved ;  I  give  two 
fragments  only  here. 

Column  II. 

1.  Urhamsi  to  him  also  said  to  Izdubar 

2.  Why  should  I  curse  thee  .... 

3.  and  thy  heart  is  tried  .... 

4.  there  is  shame  of  face  on  ...  . 

5.  thou  goest  on  the  distant  path  .... 

6 burning  and  affliction  .... 

7 thus  thou  .... 

8.  Izdubar  to  him  also  said  to  Urhamsi 

9 my  hand  has  not  .... 

10 my  heart  is  not  .... 

11 shame  of  face  on  ...  . 

Here  again  there  are  many  wanting  lines,  and  then 
we  have  some  fragments  of  the  bottom  of  the  column. 

1 said  to  Izdubar 

2 and  his  lower  part 

3 the  ship 

4 of  death 

5 wide 

6 ends 

7 to  the  river 

8 ship 

9 in  the  vicinity 

10 boatman 

11 he  burned 

12 to  thee 

Here  there  are  many  lines  lost,  then  recommencing 
the  story  proceeds  on  the  third  column. 


OF    IZDUBAIi.  255 


Column   III. 

1.  the  friend  Avhom  I  loved  . 

2.  I  am  not  like  him  .... 


3.  Izdubar  to  him  also  said  to  Ur-hamsi 

4.  Again  Ur-hamsi         why  .... 

5.  what  brings  (matters)  to  me  if  it  .  .  .  . 

6.  if  carried  to  cross  the  sea,  if  not  carried  [to 
cross  the  sea] 

7.  Ur-hamsi  to  him  also  said  to  Izdubar 

8.  Thy  hand  Izdubar  ceases  .... 

9.  thou  hidest  in  the  place  of  the  stones  thou  .  .  . 

10.  in  the  place  of  the  stones  hidden  and  they  .  .  . 

11.  Take  Izdubar  the  axe  in  thy  hand  .... 

12.  go  down  to  the  forest  and  a  spear  of  five  gar  .  .  . 

13.  capture  and  make  a  burden  of  it,  and  carry  it .  . . 

14.  Izdubar  on  his  hearing  this, 

15.  took  the  axe  in  his  hand   .... 

16.  he  went  down  to  the  forest  and  a  spear  of  five 
gar  .... 

17.  he  took  and  made  a  burden  of  it,  and  carried 
it  [to  the  ship] 

18.  Izdubar  and  Urhamsi  rode  in  the  ship 

19.  the  ship  the  waves  took  and  they  .... 

20.  a  journey  of  one  month  and  fifteen  days.     On 
the  third  day  in  their  course 

21.  took  Urhamsi  the  waters  of  death  .... 


256  ILLNESS    AND    WANDERINGS 

Column   IY. 

1.  Urhamsi  to  him  also  said  to  Izdubar 

2.  the  tablets?  Izdubar  .... 

3.  Let   not    the   waters    of   death   enclose   thy 
hand  .... 

4.  the  second  time,  the  third  time,  and  the  fourth 
time  Izdubar  was  lifting  the  sjDear  .... 

5.  the  fifth,  sixth,  and  seventh  time  Izdubar  was 
lifting  the  spear  .... 

6.  the  eighth,  ninth,  and  tenth  time  Izdubar  was 
lifting  the  spear  .... 

7.  the   eleventh  and  twelfth   time,  Izdubar  was 
Hfting  the  spear  .... 

8.  on  the  one  hundred  and  twentieth  time  Izdu- 
bar finished  the  spear 

9.  and  he  broke  his  girdle  to  ...  . 

10.  Izdubar  seized  the 

11.  on  his  wings  a  cord  he   ...  . 

12.  Hasisadra  afar  off  pondered, 

13.  spake  within  his  heart  and  a  resolution  made. 

14.  Within  himself  also  he  considered: 

15.  AYl\y  is  the  ship  still  hidden 

16.  is  not  ended  the  voyage  ....  ^ 

17.  the  man  is  not  come  to  me  and  .... 

18.  I  wonder  he  is  not  .... 

19.  I  wonder  he  is  not  .... 

20.  I  wonder  .... 

Here  there  is  a  blank,  the  extent  of  which  is  un- 
certain, and  where  the  naiTative  recommences  it  is 


OF    IZD'UBAB.  257 

on  a  small  fragment  of  the  third  and  fourth  column 
of  another  copy.  It  appears  that  the  lost  lines 
record  the  meeting  between  Izdubar  and  a  person 
named  Ragmu-seri-ina-namari.  I  have  conjectured 
that  this  individual  was  the  wife  of  Hasisadra  or 
Noah;  but  there  is  no  ground  for  this  opinion;  it  is 
possible  that  this  individual  was  the  gatekeeper  or 


Izdubar,  Composite  Figures,  and  Hasisadra  (Noah)  in  the 
Ark  ;  FROM  AN  Early  Babylonian  Cylinder. 

guard,  by  whom  Izdubar  had  to  pass  in  going  to 
reach  Hasisadra. 

It  is  curious  that,  whenever  Izdubar  speaks  to  this 
being,  the  name  Ragmua  is  used,  while,  whenever 
Izdubar  is  spoken  to,  the  full  name  Ragmu-seri-ina- 
namari  occurs.  Where  the  story  re-opens  Izdubar  is 
informing  Ragmu  of  his  first  connection  with  Hea- 
bani  and  his  offers  to  him  when  he  desired  him  to 
come  to  Erech. 

Column  III.  (fragment). 

1.  for  my  friend  .... 

2.  free  thee  .... 

3.  wea])on  .... 

4.  briffht  star  .... 


258  ILLNESS    AND     WANDERINGS 

Column  IV.  (fragment). 

1.  On  a  beautiful  couch  I  will  seat  thee, 

2.  I  will  cause  thee  to  sit  on  a  cf>nifortable  seat 
on  the  left, 

3.  the  kings  of  the  earth  shall  kiss  thy  feet. 

4.  I  will  enrich  thee  and  the  men  of  Erech  I  will 
make  silent  before  thee, 

5.  and  I  after  thee  Avill  take  all  ...  . 

6.  I  will  clothe  thy  body  in  raiment  and  .... 

7.  Ragmu-seri-ina-namari  on  his  hearing  this 

8.  his  fetters  loosed  .... 

The  speech  of  Ragmu  to  Izdubar  and  the  rest  of 
the  column  are  lost,  the  narrative  recommencing  on 
Column  v.  with  another  speech  of  Izdubar. 

Column  V.  (fragment). 

1 to  me 

2 my  ...   I  wept 

3 bitterly  I  spoke 

4 my  hand 

5 ascended  to  me 

6 to  me 

7 leopard  of  the  desert 

Column  V. 

1 .  Izdubar  opened  his  mouth  and  said  to  Ragmu 
2 my  presence? 


OF   IZDUBAB.  259 

3 not  strong 

4 my  face 

5 lay  down  in  the  field, 

6 of  the    moLintain,   the  leopard    of  the 

field, 

7.  Heabani  my  friend  .  ..  •  •  the  same. 

8.  No  one  else  was  with  us,  we  ascended  the 
mountain. 

9.  AVe  took  it  and  the  city  we  destroyed. 

10.  We  conquered  also  Humbaba  whoin  the  forest 
of  pine  trees  dwelt. 

11.  Again  why  did  his  fingers  lay  hold  to  slay  the 
lions. 

12.  Thou  wouldst  have  feared  and  thou  wouldst 
not  have  .  .  all  the  difficulty. 

13.  And  he  did  not  succeed  in  slaying  the  same 

14.  his  heart  failed,  and  he  did  not  strike  .... 
over  him  I  wept, 

1 5.  he  covered  also  my  friend  like  a  corpse  in  a 
grave, 

16.  like  a  lion?  he  tore?  him 

17.  like  a  lioness  ?  placed  ....  field 

18.  he  was  cast  down  to  the  face  of  the  earth 

19.  he  broke?  and  destroyed  his  defence?  .... 

20.  he  was  cut  off  and  given  to  pour  out?  .... 

21.  Ragmu-seri-ina-namari  on  hearing  this 

Here  the  record  is  again  mutilated,  Izdubar  further 
informs  Ragmu  what  he  did  in  conjunction  with 
Heabani.     Where  the  story  reopens  on  Column  VI. 


260  ILLNESS    AND     WANDEBINGS 

Izdubar  relates  part  of  their  adventure  with  Hum- 
baba. 

Column  VI. 

1.  .  :  .  .  taking 

2 to  thee 

3 thou  art  great 

4 all  the  account 

5.  .  ,  .   .  forest  of  pine  trees 

6 went  night  and  day 

7 the  extent  of  Erech  Suburi 

8 he  approached  after  us 

9 he  opened  the  land  of  forests 

10 we  ascended 

11 in  the  midst  like  thy  mother 

12 cedar  and  pine  trees 

13 with  our  strength 

14 silent 

15 he  of  the  field 

16 by  her  side 

17 the  Euphrates 

Here  again  our  narrative  is  lost,  and  where  we 
again  meet  the  story  Izdubar  has  spoken  to  Hasisadra 
and  is  receiving,  his  answer. 

1.  I  was  angry  .... 

2.  Whenever   a   house   was   built,    whenever    a 
treasure  was  collected 

3.  Whenever  brothers  fixed  ...  . 

4.  Whenever  hatred  is  in  .  .  .   . 

5.  Whenever  the  river  makes  a  great  flood. 


OF    IZDUBAB.  261 

6.  Whenever  reviling  within  the  mouth  .... 

7.  the  face  that  bowed  before  Shamas 

8.  from  of  old  was  not  .... 

9.  Spoiling  and  death  together  exist 

10.  of  death  the  image  has  not  been  seen. 

11.  The  man  or  servant  on  approaching  death, 

12.  the  spirit  of  the  great  gods  takes  his  hand. 

13.  The  goddess  Mamitu  maker  of  fate,  to  them 
their  fate  brings, 

14.  she  has  fixed  death  and  life ; 

15.  of  death  the  day  is  not  known. 

This  statement  of  Hasisadra  closes  the  tenth  tablet 
and  leads  to  the  next  question  of  Izdubar  and  its 
answer,  which  included  the  story  of  the  Flood. 

The  present  division  of  the  legends  has  its  own 
peculiar  difficulties  ;  in  the  first  place  it  does  not 
appear  how  Heabani  was  killed.  My  original  idea, 
that  he  was  killed  by  the  poisonous  insect  tambukku^ 
I  find  to  be  incorrect,  and  it  now  appears  most  likely 
either  that  he  was  killed  in  a  quarrel  with  Izdubar,  as 
seems  suggested  by  the  fragment  in  p.  246,  or  that 
he  fell  in  an  attempt  to  slay  a  lion,  which  is  implied 
in  the  passage  p.  259. 

In  the  ninth  tablet  I  am  able  to  make  a  correction 
to  my  former  translation ;  I  find  the  monsters  seen  by 
Izdubar  were  composite  beings,  half  scorpions,  half 
men.  The  word  for  scorpion  has  been  some  time  ago 
discovered  by  Professor  Oppert,  and  I  find  it  occurs 
in  the  description  of  these  beings ;  also  on  a  fragment 
of  a  tablet  which  I  found  at  Kou^^unjik  the  star  of 


262  WANDERINGS    OF    IZBUBAE. 

the  scorpion  is  said  to  belong  to  tlie  eighth  month,  in 
which,  of  course,  it  should  naturally  appear. 

This  assists  in  explaining  a  curious  tablet  printed 
in  "Cuneiform  Inscriptions,"  vol.  iii.  p.  52,  No.  1, 
which  has  been  misunderstood.  This  tablet  speaks 
of  the  appearance  of  comets,  one  of  which  has  a  tail 
"like  a  lizard  (or  creeping  thing)  and  a  scorpion." 

The  land  of  Mas  or  desert  of  Mas  over  which 
Izdubar  travels  in  this  tablet  is  the  desert  on  the 
west  of  the  Euphrates;  on  the  sixth  column  the  frag- 
ments appear  to  refer  to  some  bird  with  magnificent 


Composite  Figdres  (Scobpion  Men)  ;  from  an 
AssYKiAN  Cylinder. 

feathers  like  precious  stones,  seen  by  Izdubar  on  his 
journey. 

I  have  altered  my  translation  of  the  passage  in  pp. 
255,  256,  which  I  now  believe  to  relate  that  Izdubar 
at  the  direction  of  Urhamsi  made  a  spear  from  one 
of  the  trees  of  the  forest  before  going  across  the 
waters  of  death  which  separated  the  abode  of  Hasis- 
adra  from  the  world  of  mortals.  I  do  not,  however, 
understand  the  passage,  as  from  the  mutilated  con- 
dition of  the  inscription  it  does  not  appear  what  he 
attacked  with  it. 


s 

Chapter  XVI. 

THE   STORY  OF  THE  FLOOD  AND   CONCLUSION-. 

Eleventh  tablet. — The  gods, — Sin  of  the  world. — Command 
to  build  the  ark. — Its  contents. — The  building. — The  Flood. — - 
Destruction  of  people. — Fear  of  the  gods. — End  of  Deluge — 
Nizir. — Resting  of  ark. — The  birds. — The  (descent  from  the 
ark. — The  sacrifice. — Speeches  of  gods. — Translation  of  Hasis- 
adra. — Cure  of  Izdubar. — His  return. — Lament  over  Heabani. — 
Resurrection  of  Heabani. — Burial  of  warrior. — Comparison  with 
Genesis. — Syrian  nation. — Connection  of  legends. — Points  of 
contact. — Duration  of  deluge. — Mount  of  descent. — Ten  genera- 
tions.— Early  cities. — Age  of  Izdubar. 


^^  ,HE  eleventh  tablet  of  the  Izdubar  series 

It4 


is  the  one  which  first  attracted  attention, 
and  certainly  the  most  important  on 
accouirt  of  its  containing  the  story  of 
the  Flood.  This  tablet  is  the  most  perfect  in  the 
series,  scarcely  any  line  being  entirely  lost. 

Tablet    XI. 

Column  I. 

1.  Izdubar  after  this  manner  also  said  to  Hasis- 
adra  afar  off: 


264  THE    STOBY    OF    TEE    FLOOD 

* 

2.  I  consider  the  matter, 

o.  why  thou  repeatest  not  to  me  from  thee, 

4.  and  thou  repeatest  not  to  me  from  thee, 

5.  thy  ceasing  my  heart  to  make  war 

6.  presses?  of  thee,  I  come  up  after  thee, 

7.  .  .  .  how  thou  hast  done,  and  in  the  assembly 
of  the  gods  ahve  thou  art  placed. 

8.  Hasisadra  after  this  manner  also  said  to  Izdubar : 

9.  Be  revealed  to  thee  Izdubar  the  concealed  story, 

10.  and  the  judgment  of  the  gods  be  related  to 
thee, 

11.  The  city  Surippak  the  city  where  thou  standest 
not  ....  placed, 

12.  that  city  is  ancient  ....  the  gods  within  it 
13 '.  .  their  servant,  the  great  gods 

14 the  god  Ami, 

15 the  god  Bel, 

16 the  god  Ninip, 

17.  and  the  god  ....  lord  of  Hades; 

18.  their  will  he  revealed  in  the  midst  ....  and 

19.  I  his  will  was  hearing  and  he  spake  to  me : 

20.  Surippakite  son  of  Ubaratutu 

21 make  a  ship  after  this  .... 

22 I  destroy?  the  sinner  and  life  .... 

23 cause  to  go  in?  the  seed  of  life  all  of  it 

to  the  midst  of  the  ship. 

24.  The  ship  which  thou  shalt  make, 

25.  600?  cubits  shall  be  the  measure  of  its  length, 
and 


AND    conclusion:  265 

26.  60?  cubits  the  amount  of  its  breadth  and  its 
height. 

27.  .  .  .  into  the  deep  launch  it. 

28.  I  perceived  and  said  to  Hea  my  lord : 

29.  The  ship  making  which  thou  commandest  me, 

30.  when  I  shall  have  made, 

31.  young  and  old  will  deride  me. 

32.  Hea  opened  his  mouth  and  spake  and  said  to 
me  his  servant : 

33 thou  shalt  say  unto  them, 

34 ,  he  has  turned  from  me  and 

35 fixed  over  me 

36 like  caves  .... 

37.  .  .  .  above  and  below 

38.  .  .  .  closed  the  ship  .  .  . 

39.  .   .  .  the  flood  which  I  will  send  to  you, 

40.  into  it  enter  and  the  door  of  the  ship  turn. 

41.  Into  the  midst  of  it  thy  grain,  thy  furniture, 
and  thy  goods, 

42.  thy  wealth,  thy  woman  servants,  thy  female 
slaves,  and  the  young  men, 

43.  the  beasts  of  the  field,  the  animals  of  the  field 
all,  I  will  gather  and 

44.  I  will  send  to  thee,  and  they  shall  be  enclosed 
in  thy  door. 

45.  Adrahasis  his  mouth  opened  and  spake,  and 

46.  said  to  Hea  his  lord : 

47.  Any  one  the  ship  will  not  make  ... 

48.  on  the  earth  fixed  .... 


266  THE    STOBY    OF    THE    FLOOD 

49 I  mnj  see  also  the  ship  .... 

50 on  the  ground  the  ship  .... 

51.  the  ship  making  which  thou  commandest  me  .  . 

52.  which  in  ...  . 

Column  II. 

1.  strong  .... 

2.  on  the  fifth  day  ....  it 

3.  in  its  circuit  14  measures  ...  its  frame. 

4.  14  measures  it  measured  .  .   .  over  it. 

5.  I  placed  its  roof,  it  ....   I  enclosed  it. 

6.  I  rode  in  it  on  the  sixth  time ;  I  examined  its 
exterior  on  the  seventh  time ; 

7.  its  interior  I  examined  on  the  eighth  time. 

8.  Planks  against  the  waters  within  it  I  placed. 

9.  I  saw  rents  and  the  wanting  parts  I  added. 

10.  3  measures    of  bitumen   I    poured  over   the 
outside. 

11.  3  measures   of  bitumen  I    poured   over   the 
inside. 

12.  3  .  .  .  men  carrying   its   baskets,    they  con- 
structed boxes 

13.  I  placed  in  the  boxes  the  offering  they  sacri- 
ficed. 

14.  Two  measures  of  boxes  I  had  distributed  to 
the  boatmen. 

15.  To  ...   .  were  sacrificed  oxen 
16 dust  and 

17 wine- in  receptacle  of  goats 

18.  I  collected  like  the  waters  of  a  river,  also 


AND    CONCLUSION.  267 

19.  food  like  the  dust  of  the  earth  also 

20.  I  collected  in  boxes  with  my  hand  I  placed. 
21 Shamas   ....    material   of  the    ship 

completed. 

22 strong  and 

23.  the  reed  oars  of  the  ship  I  caused  to  bring 
above  and  below. 

24 they  went  in  two-thirds  of  it. 

25.  All  I  possessed  the  strength  of  it,  all  I  pos- 
sessed the  strength  of  it  silver, 

26.  all  I  possessed  the  strength  of  it  gold, 

27.  all  I  possessed  the  strength  of  it  the  seed  of 
life,  the  whole 

28.  I  caused  to  go  up  into  the  ship;  all  my  male 
servants  and  my  female  servants, 

29.  the  beast  of  the  field,  the  animal  of  the  field, 
the  sons  of  the  people  all  of  them,  I  caused  to  ^o  up. 

30.  A  flood  Shamas  made  and 

31.  he  spake  saying  in  the  night  :    I  will  cause 
it  to  rain  heavily, 

32.  enter  to  the  midst  of  the   ship  and  shut  thy 
door. 

33.  that  flood  happened,  of  which 

34.  he  spake  saying  in  the  night:  I  will  cause  it 
to  rain  (or  it  will  rain)  from  heaven  heavily. 

35.  In  the  day  I  celebrated  his  festival 

36.  the  day  of  watching  fear  I  had. 

37.  I  entered  to  the  midst  of  the  ship  and  shut  my 
door. 


268     TEE    STOBY    OF    THE    FLOOD 

38.  To  close  the  ship  to  Buzur-sadu-abi  the  boat- 
man 

39.  the  palace  I  gave  with  its  goods. 


40.  Ragmu-seri-ina-namari 

41.  arose,  from  the  horizon  of  heaven  extending 
and  wide. 

42.  Vul  in  the  midst  of  it  thundered,  and 

43.  Nebo  and  Saru  went  in  front, 

44.  the  throne  bearers  went  over  mountains  and 
plains, 

45.  the  destroyer  Nergal  overturned, 

46.  Ninip  went  in  front  and  cast  down, 

47.  the  spirits  carried  destruction, 

48.  in  their  glory  they  swept  the  earth ; 

49.  of  Vul  the  flood  reached  to  heaven. 

50.  The  bright  earth  to  a  waste  was  turned, 

Column  III. 

1.  the  surface  of  the  earth  like  ....  it  swept, 

2.  it   destroyed   all   life   from   the   face   of    the 
earth  .... 

3.  the  strong  deluge  over  the  people,  reached  to 
heaven. 

4.  Brother  saw  not  his  brother,  they  did  not  know 
the  people.     In  heaven 

5.  the  gods  feared  the  tempest  and 

6.  sought  refuge ;  they  ascended  to  the  heaven  of 
Anu. 

7.  The  gods  like  dogs  fixed  in  droves  prostrate. 


AND    GONGLTISION.  269 

8.  Spake  Islitar  like  a  chikl, 

9.  littered  Rubat  her  speech  : 

10.  All  to  corruption  are  turned  and 

11.  then  I  in  the  presence  of  the  gods  prophesied 
evil. 

12.  As  I  prophesied  in  the  presence  of  the  gods 
evil, 

13.  to  evil  were  devoted  all  my  people  and  I  pro- 
phesied 

14.  thus :  I  have  begotten  my  people  and 

15.  like  the  young  of  the  fishes  they  fill  the  sea. 

16.  The  gods  concerning  the  spirits  were  weeping 
with  her, 

17.  the  gods  in  seats  seated  in  lamentation, 

18.  covered  were  their  lips  for  the  coming  evil. 

19.  Six  days  and  nights 

20.  passed,  the   wind,   deluge,   and   storm,    over- 
whelmed. 

21.  On  the  seventh  day  in  its  course  was  calmed 
the  storm,  and  all  the  deluge 

22.  which  had  destroyed  like  an  earthquake, 

23.  quieted.     The  sea  he  caused  to  dry,  and  the 
wind  and  deluge  ended. 

24.  I  perceived  the  sea  making  a  tossing; 

25.  and  the  whole  of  mankind  turned  to  corruption, 
20.  like  reeds  the  corpses  floated. 

27.  I  opened  the  window,  and  the  light  broke  over 
my  face, 

28.  it  passed.     I  sat  down  and  wept, 

29.  over  my  face  flowed  my  tears. 


270  TEE    8T0BY    OF    THE    FLOOD 

30.  I  perceived  the  shore  at  the  boundary  of  the 
sea, 

31.  for  twelve  measures  the  land  rose. 

32.  To  the  country  of  Nizir  went  the  ship; 

33.  the  mountain  of  Nizir  stopped  the   ship,  and 
to  pass  over  it  it  was  not  able. 

34.  The  first  day,  and  the  second  day,  the  moun- 
tain of  Nizir  the  same. 

35.  The  third  day,  and  the  fourth  day,  the  moun- 
tain of  Nizir  the  same. 

36.  The  fifth,  and  sixth,  the  mountain  of  Nizir  the 
same. 

37.  On  the  seventh  day  in  the  course  of  it 


38.  I  sent  forth  a  dove  and  it  left.     The  dove 
went  and  turned,  and 

39.  a  resting-place  it  did  not  find,  and  it  returned. 

40.  I  sent  forth  a  swallow  and  it  left.    The  swallow 
went  and  turned,  and 

41.  a  resting-place  it  did  not  find,  and  it  returned. 

42.  I  sent  forth  a  raven  and  it  left. 

43.  The  raven  Avent,  and  the  decrease  of  the  water 
it  saw,  and 

44.  it  did  eat,  it  swam,  and  wandered  away,  and 
did  not  return. 

45.  I  sent  the  animals  forth  to  the   four  winds,  I 
poured  out  a  libation, 

46.  I  built  an  altar  on  the  peak  of  the  mountain, 

47.  by  sevens  herbs  I  cut, 


AND    CONCLUSION.  271 

48.  at  the  bottom  of  tliera  I  placed  reeds,  pines, 
and  simgar. 

49.  The  gods  collected  at   its   savour,   the   gods 
collected  at  its  good  savour ; 

50.  the  gods  like  flies  over  the  sacrifice  gathered. 

51.  From  of  old  also  Rubat  in  her  course 

52.  The  great  brightness  of  Anu  had  created. 
When  the  glory 

53.  of  those  gods  on  the  charm  round  my  neck  I 
would  not  leave ; 

Column  IV. 

1.  in  those  days  I  desired  that  for  ever  I  might 
not  leave  them. 

2.  May  the  gods  come  to  my  altar, 

3.  may  Elu  not  come  to  my  altar, 

4.  for  he  did  not  consider  and  had  made  a  deluge, 

5.  and  my  people  he  had  consigned  to  the  deep. 

6.  From  of  old  also  Elu  in  his  course 

7.  saw  the  ship,  and  went  Elu  with  anger  filled  to 
the  gods  and  spirits  : 

8.  Let  not  any  one  come  out  alive,  let  not  a  man 
be  saved  from  the  deep, 

9.  Ninip  his  mouth  opened,  and  spake  and  said  to 
the  warrior  Elu : 

10.  Who  then  will  ask  Hea,  the  matter  he  has  done? 

11.  and  Hea  knew  all  things. 

12.  Hea  his  mouth  opened  and  spake,  and  said  to 
the  warrior  Bel : 

13.  "  Thou  prince  of  the  gods  warrior, 


272  THE    STOBY    OF    THE    FLOOD 

14.  when  tliou  art  angry  a  deluge  thou  makest ; 

15.  the  doer  of  sin  did  his  sin,  the  doer  of  evil  did 
his  evil. 

16.  the  just  prince  let  him  not  be  cut  off,  the  faith- 
ful let  him  not  be  destroyed. 

17.  Instead  of  thee  making  a  deluge,  may  lions  in- 
crease and  men  be  reduced; 

18.  instead  of  thee  making  a  deluge,  may  leopards 
increase  and  men  be  reduced; 

19.  instead  of  thee  making  a  deluge,  may  a  famine 
happen  and  the  country  be  destroyed; 

20.  instead  of  thee  making  a  deluge,  may  pestilence 
increase  and  men  be  destroyed." 

21.  I  did  not  peer  into  the  judgment  of  the  gods. 

22.  Adrahasis  a  dream  they  sent,  and  the  judgment 
of  the  gods  he  heard. 

23.  AVhen    his  judgment  was   accomplished,    Bel 
went  up  to  the  midst  of  the  ship. 

24.  He  took  my  hand  and  raised  me  up, 

25.  he  caused  to  raise  and  to  bring  my  wife  to  my 
side; 

26.  he  made  a  bond,  he  established  in  a  covenant, 
and  gave  this  blessing, 

27.  in  the  presence  of  Hasisadra  and  the  people 
thus : 

28.  When  Hasisadra,  and  his  wife,  and  the  people, 
to  be  like  the  gods  are  carried  away; 

29.  then  shall  dwell  Hasisadra  in  a  remote  place 
at  the  mouth  of  the  rivers. 

30.  They  took  me,  and  in  a  remote  place  at  the 
mouth  of  the  rivers  they  seated  me. 


AND    CONCLUSION,  273 

31.  "When  to  thee  whom  the  gods  have  chosen  also, 

32.  for  the  health  which  thou  seekest  and  askest, 

33.  this  be  done  six  days  and  seven  nights, 

34.  like  sitting  on  the  edge  of  his  seat, 

35.  the  way  like  a  storm  shall  be  laid  ujDon  him. 

36.  Hasisadra  to  her  also  said  to  his  wife 

37.  I  announce  that  the  chief  who  grasps  at  health 

38.  the  way  like  a  storm  shall  be  laid  upon  him. 

39.  His  wife  to  him  also  said  to  Hasisadra  afar 
off: 

40.  clothe  him,  and  let  the  man  be  sent  away ; 

41.  the  road  that  he  came  may  he  return  in  peace, 

42.  the  great  gate  open  and  may  he  return  to  his 
country. 

43.  Hasisadra  to  lier  also  said  to  his  wife : 

44.  The  cr}^  of  a  man  alarms  thee, 

45.  this  do  his  kurummat  place  on  his  head. 

46.  And  the  day  when  he  ascended  the  side  of  the 
ship, 

47.  she  did,  his  huruimnat  she  placed  on  his  head. 

48.  And  the  day  when  he  ascended  the  side  oi  the 
ship, 

49.  first  the  sahusat  of  his  hirumm.at, 

50.  second  the  mussulcat^  third  the  radbat^  fourth 
she  opened  his  zikaman, 

51.  fifth  the  cloak  she  placed,  sixth  the  bassat^ 

Column  V. 
1.  seventh  in  a  mantle  she   clothed  him  and  let 
the  man  go  fr(^e. 


274.  TEE    STOBY    OF    THE    FLOOD 

2.  Izclubar  to  him  also   said  to  Hasisaclra   afar 
off: 

3.  In  this  way  tliou  wast  compassionate  over  me, 
4;  joyfally  tliou  hast  made  me,  and  thou  hast 

restored  me. 

5.  Hasisadra  to  him  also  said  to  Izdubar. 

() thy  hirummit, 

7 separated  thee, 

;8 thy  kurummat, 

9.  second  the  mussukat^  third  the  radbat, 
10.  fourth  she  opened  the  zikaman^ 
IJ.  fifth  the  cloak  she  placed,  sixth  the  hassat^ 

12.  seventh  in  a  cloak  I  have  clothed  thee  and  let 
thee  go  free. 

13.  Izdubar  to  him  also  said  to  Hasisadra  afar 
off: 

14.  .....  .  Hasisadra    to    thee   may    we   not 

xjome, 

15.  .  .  .  ;  .  .  collected 

16 dwelling  in  death, 

17 his  back?  dies  also. 

18.  Hasisadra  to   him  also  said  to  Urhamsi  the 
boatman : 

19.  Urhamsi to    thee  we    cross  to   pre- 
serve thee. 

20.  Who  is  beside  the of  support ; 

21.  the  man  whom  thou  comest  before,  disease  has 
filled  his  body ; 

22.  illness  has  destroyed  the  strength  of  his  limbs. 


AND    CONCLUSION.  275 

23.  carry  him  Urhamsi,  to  cleanse  take  him, 

24.  his  disease  in  the  water  to  beauty  may  it  turn, 

25.  may  he  cast  off  his  illness,  and  the  sea  carry  it 
away,  may  health  cover  his  skin, 

26.  may  it  restore  the  hair  of  his  head, 

27.  hanging  to  cover  the  cloak  of  his  body. 

28.  That  he  may  go  to  his  country,  that  he  may 
take  his  road, 

29.  the  hanging  cloak  may  he  not  cast  off,  but 
alone  may  he  leave. 

30.  Urhamsi  carried  him,  to  cleanse  he  took  him, 

31.  his  disease  in  the  water  to  beauty  turned, 

32.  he  cast  off  his  illness,  and  the  sea  carried  it 
away,  and  health  covered  his  skin, 

33.  he  restored  the  hair  of  his  head,  hanging  down 
to  cover  the  cloak  of  his  body. 

34.  That  he  might  go  to  his  country,  that  he  might 
take  his  road, 

35.  the  hanging  cloak  he  did  not  cast  off,  but  alone 
he  left. 

36.  Izdubar  and  Urhamsi  rode  in  the  ship, 

37.  where  they  placed  them  they  rode. 


38.  His  wife  to  him  also   said  to  Hasisadra  afar 
off: 

39.  Izdubar   goes    away,  he    is  satisfied,  he  per- 
forms 

40.  that  which  thou  hast  given  him,  and  returns  to 
his  country. 


276  THE    STOBY    OF    THE    FLOOD 

41.  And  he  carried  the  spear?  of  Izdubar, 

42.  and  the  ship  touched  the  shore. 

43.  Hasisadra  to  him  also  said  to  Izdubar : 

44.  Izdubar  thou  goest  away,  thou  art  satisfied, 
thou  performest 

45.  that  which  I  have  given  thee,  and  thou  re- 
turnest  to  thy  country. 

46.  Be  revealed   to   thee  Izdubar   the   concealed 
story ; 

47.  and  the  judgment  of  the  gods  be  related  to 
thee. 

48.  This  account  like  bitumen  .... 

49.  its  renown  like  the  Amurdin  tree  ...  . 

50.  when  the  account  a  hand  shall  take  .... 

51.  Izdubar,  this  in  his  hearing  heard,  and  .... 

52.  he  collected  great  stones  .... 

Column   VI. 

1.  they  dragged  it  and  to  ...  . 

2.  he  carried  the  account  .... 

3.  piled  up  the  great  stones  .... 

4.  to  his  mule  .... 

5.  Izdubar  to  him  also  said 

6.  to  Urhamsi :  this  account  .... 

7.  If  a  man  in  his  heart  take  .... 

8.  may  they  bring  him  to  Erech  Suburi 
9 speech  .... 

10.  I  will  give  an  account  and  turn  to.  .  .  , 


AND    CONCLUSION.  277 

11.  For  10  kaspu  (70  miles)  they  journeyed  the 
stage,  for  20  kapsu  (140  miles)  they  journeyed  the 
stage 

12.  and  Izdubar  saw  the  hole  .   .    . 

13.  they  returned  to  the  midst  of  Erech  Suburi. 

14.  noble  of  men  .... 

15.  in  his  return  .... 

16.  Izdubar  approached  .... 

17.  and  over  his  face  coursed  his  tears,  and  he 
said  to  Urhamsi : 

18.  At  my  misfortune  Urhamsi  in  my  turning, 

19.  at  my  misfortune  is  my  heart  troubled. 

20.  I  have  not  done  good  to  my  own  self; 

21.  and  the  lion  of  the  earth  does  good. 

22.  Then  for  20  kaspu  (140  miles)  .... 

23 then  I  opened  ....  the  instrument 

24.  the  sea  not  to  its  wall  then  could  I  get, 

25.  And  they  left  the  ship  by  the  shore,  20  kaspu 
(140  miles)  they  journeyed  the  stage. 

26.  For  30  kaspu  (210  miles)  they  made  the  ascent, 
they  came  to  the  midst  of  Erech  Suburi. 


27.  Izdubar  to  her  also  said  to  Urhamsi  the  boat- 
man: 

28.  Ascend    Urhamsi    over   where    the   wall    of 
Erech  will  go ; 

29.  the  cylinders  are  scattered,  the  bricks  of  its 
casing  are  not  made, 

30.  and  its  foundation  is  not  laid  to  thy  height; 


278     TEE    STOBY    OF    THE    FLOOD 

31.  1  measure  the  circuit  of  the  city,  1  measure  of 
plantations,  1  measure  the  boundary  of  the  temple  of 
Nantur  the  house  of  Ishtar, 

32.  3  measures  together  the  divisions  of  Erech  .  .  . 

The  opening  line  of  the  next  tablet  is  preserved, 
it  reads :  "  Tammabukku  in  the  house  of  the  .... 
was  left."  After  this  the  story  is  again  lost  for 
several  lines,  and  where  it  reappears  Izdubar  is 
mourning  for  Heabani.  In  my  first  account  in 
"  Assyrian  Discoveries"  there  are  several  errors  which 
were  unavoidable  from  the  state  of  the  twelfth  tablet. 
I  am  now  able  to  correct  some  of  these,  and  find 
the  words  tambuhku  and  mikke  do  not  refer  to  the 
author  or  manner  of  the  death  of  Heabani,  who  most 
probably  died  in  attempting  to  imitate  the  feat  of 
Izdubar  when  he  destroyed  the  lion. 

The  fragments  of  this  tablet  are : — 

Column  I. 
I.  Tammabukku  in  the  house  of  the  ....  was 

(Several  lines  lost.) 

1.  Izdubar   .... 

2.  When  to  ...  . 

3.  to  happiness  thou  .... 

4.  a  cloak  shining  .... 

5.  like  a  misfortune  also  .... 

6.  The  noble  banquet  thou  dost  not  share, 

7.  to  the  assembly  they  do  not  call  thee : 


AND    CONCLUSION.  279 

8.  The  bow  from  the  ground  thou  dost  not  lift, 

9.  what  the  bow  has  struck  escapes  thee : 

10.  The  mace  in  thy  hand  thou  dost  not  grasp, 

11.  the  spoil  defies  thee  : 

12.  Shoes  on  thy  feet  thou  dost  not  wear, 

13.  the  slain  on  the  ground  thou  dost  not  stretch. 

14.  Thy  wife  whom  thou  lovest  thou  dost  not  kiss, 

15.  thy  wife  whom  thou  hatest  thou  dost  not  strike ; 
IG.  Thy  child  whom  thou  lovest  thou  dost  not  kiss, 

17.  thy  child  whom  thou  hatest  thou  dost  not  strike ; 

18.  The  arms  of  the  earth  have  taken  thee. 

19.  0  darkness,  0  darkness,  mother  Ninazu,  0 
darkness. 

20.  Her  noble  stature  as  his  mantle  covers  him 

21.  her  feet  like  a  deep  well  enclose  him. 

This  is  the  bottom  of  the  first  column.  The  next 
column  has  lost  all  the  upper  part,  it  appears  to  have 
contained  the  remainder  of  this  lament,  an  ajopeal  to 
one  of  the  gods  on  behalf  of  Heabani,  and  a  repetition 
of  the  lamentation,  the  third  person  being  used  in- 
stead of  the  second.  The  fragments  commence  at 
the  middle  of  this : 

1.  his  wife  whom  he  hated  he  struck, 

2.  his  child  whom  he  loved  he  kissed; 

3.  his  child  Avhom  he  hated  he  struck, 

4.  the  might  of  the  earth  has  taken  him. 

5.  0  darkness,  0  darkness,  mother  Ninazu,  0 
darkness 

6.  Her  noble  stature  as  his  mantle  covers  him, 

7.  her  feet  like  a  deep  well  enclose  him. 


280     THE    STOBY    OF    TEE    FLOOD 

8.  Then  Heabani  from  the  earth 

9.  Simtar  did  not  take  him,  Asakku  did  not  take 
him,  the  earth  took  him. 

10.  The  resting  place  of  Nergal  the  unconquered 
did  not  take  him,  the  earth  took  him. 

11.  In  the  place  of  the  battle  of  heroes  they  did 
not  strike  him,  the  earth  took  him. 

12.  Then  .  .  .  .  ni  son  of  Ninsun  for  his  servant 
Heabani  wept ; 

13.  to  the  house  of  Bel  alone  he  went. 

14.  "  Father    Bel,    a    sting    to    the    earth   has 
struck  me, 

15.  a  deadly  wound  to  the  earth  has  struck  me, 

COLU]VIN  III. 

1.  Heabani  who  to  fly  ...  . 

2.  Simtar  did  not  take  him  .... 

3.  the  resting  place  of  Nergal  the  unconquered 
did  not  take  him  .  .   . 

4.  In  the  place  of  the  battle  of  heroes  they  did 
not  .... 

5.  Father  Bel  the  matter  do  not  despise  .... 

6.  Father  Sin,  a  sting  .... 

7.  a  deadly  Avound  .... 

8.  Heabani  who  to  fly  ...  . 

9.  Simtar  did  not  take  him  .... 
10.  the  resting-place  of  Nergal  .... 

(About  12  hues  lost,  containing  repetition  of  this 
passage.) 

23.  Simtar  .  .  .  , 


AND    CONCLUSION.  281 

24.  the  resting  place  of  Nergal  tlie  iinconquered 


25.  in  tlie  place  of  tlie  battle  of  heroes  tliey  did 
not  .... 

26.  Father  Hea  .  .  .  . 

27.  To  the  noble  warrior  Merodach  .... 

28.  Noble  warrior  Merodach  .... 

29.  the  divider  .... 

30.  the  spirit  .... 

31.  To  his  father  .... 

32.  the  noble  warrior  Merodach  son  of  Hea 

33.  the  divider  the  earth  opened,  and 

34.  the  spirit  (or  ghost)  of  Heabani  like  glass  (or 
transparent)  from  the  earth  arose : 

35 and  thou  explainest, 

36.  he  pondered  and  repeated  this : 

CoLmiN  IV. 

1.  Terrible  my  friend,  terrible  my  friend, 

2.  may  the  earth  cover  what  thou  hast  seen,  terrible, 

3.  I  will  not  tell  my  friend,  I  will  not  tell, 

4.  AVhen  the  earth  covers  what  I  have  seen  I  will 
tell  thee. 

5 thou  sittest  weeping 

6 may  you  sit  may  you  weep 

7 in  youth  also  thy  heart  rejoice 

8.  .   ....  become  old,  the  worm  entering 

9 in  youth  also  thy  heart  rejoice 

10 full  of  dust 


282     THE    STOBY    OF    THE    FLOOD 

11 he  passed  over 

12 I  see 

Here  there  is  a  serious  blank  in  the  inscription, 
about  twenty  lines  being  lost,  and  I  conjecturally 
insert  a  fragment  which  appears  to  belong  to  this 
part  of  the  narrative.  It  is  very  curious  from  the 
geographical  names  it  contains. 

1 r  poured  out   .    .    . 

2 which  thou  trusted   .... 

3 city  of  Babylon  ?^^    .... 

4 which  he  was  blessed   .... 

5 may  he  mourn  for  my  fault    .... 

6 may  he  mourn  for  him  and  for  .    .    .    . 

7 Kisu  and  Harriskalama,  may  he  mourn 

8 Lis    ...    .    Cutha   .... 

9 Eridu?and  Nipur   .... 

The  rest  of  Column  IV.  is  lost,  and  of  the  next 
column  there  are  only  remains  of  the  two  first  lines. 

Column  V. 

1.  like  a  good  prince  who   .... 

2.  like    .... 

Here  there  are  about  thirty  lines  missing,  the  story 
recommencing  with  Column  VI.,  which  is  perfect. 

Column  Vl. 

1.  On  a  couch  reclining  and 

2.  pure  water  drinking. 

3.  He  who  in  battle  is  slain,  thou  seest  and  I  see  j 


AND    CONCLUSION.  283 

4.  His  father  and  his  mother  carry  his  head, 

5.  and  his  wife  over  him  weeps; 

6.  His  friends  on  the  ground  are  standing, 

7.  thou  seest  and  I  see. 

8.  His  spoil  on  the  ground  is  uncovered, 

9.  of  the  spoil  account  is  not  taken, 

10.  thou  seest  and  I  see. 

11.  The  captives  conquered  come  after;  the  food 

12.  which  in  the  tents  is  placed  is  eaten. 

13.  The  twelfth  tablet  of  the  legends  of  Izdubar. 

14.  Like  the  ancient  copy  written  and  made  clear. 
This  passage  closes  this  great  national  work,  which 

even  in  its  present  mutilated  form  is  of  the  greatest 


Hasisadra  or  Noah   and  Izdubar  ;   from  an   Early 
Babylonian  Cylinder. 

importance  in  relation  to  the  civilization,  manners, 
and  customs  of  this  ancient  people.  The  main  feature 
in  this  part  of  the  Izdubar  legends  is  the  description 
of  the  Flood  in  the  eleventh  tablet,  which  evidently 
refers  to  the  same  event  as  the  Flood  of  Noah  in 
Genesis. 

In   ray  two  papers  in    "  The  Transactions  of  the 
Biblical  Archaeological  Society,"  vol.  ii.  and  vol.  iii. 


284  THE    STOBY    OF    THE    FLOOD 

I  have  given  some  comparisons  with  the  Biblical 
account  and  that  of  Berosus,  and  I  have  made  similar 
comparisons  in  my  work,  "Assyrian  Discoveries;" 
but  I  have  myself  to  acknowledge  that  these  com- 
parisons are  to  a  great  extent  superficial,  a  thorough 
comparison  of  the  Biblical  and  Babylonian  accounts 
of  the  Flood  being  only  possible  in  conjunction  with  a 
critical  examination  both  of  the  Chaldean  and  Biblical 
texts.  Biblical  criticism  is,  however,  a  subject  on 
which  I  am  not  competent  to  pronounce  an  inde- 
pendent opinion,  and  the  views  of  Biblical  scholars 
on  the  matter  are  so  widely  at  variance,  and  some 
of  them  so  unmistakably  coloured  by  prejudice,  that 
I  feel  I  could  not  take  up  any  of  the  prevailing  views 
without  being  a  party  to  the  controversy. 

There  is  only  one  point  which  I  think  should  not 
be  avoided  in  this  matter :    it  is  the  view  of  a  lar^e 

o 

section  of  scholars  that  the  Book  of  Genesis  contains, 
in  some  form,  matter  taken  from  two  principal 
independent  sources ;  one  is  termed  the  Jehovistic 
narrative,  the  other  the  Elohistic.  The  authorship 
and  dates  of  the  original  documents  and  the  manner, 
date,  and  extent  of  their  combination,  are  points 
which  I  shall  not  require  to  notice,  and  I  must  confess 
I  do  not  think  we  are  at  j^resent  in  a  position  to  form 
a  judgment  upon  them.  I  think  all  will  admit  a 
connection  of  some  sort  between  the  Biblical 
narrative  and  those  of  Berosus  and  the  cuneiform 
texts,  but  between  Chaldea  and  Palestine  was  a 
wide  extent  of  country  inhabited  by  different  nations. 


AND    CONCLUSION.  285 

whose  territories  formed  a  connecting  link  between 
these  two  extremes.  The  Aramean  and  Hittite 
races  who  once  inhabited  the  region  along  the  Eu- 
phrates and  in  Syria  have  passed  away,  their  history 
has  been  lost,  and  their  mythology  and  traditions  are 
unknown;  until  future  researches  on  the  sites  of  their 
cities  shall  reveal  the  position  in  which  their  tradi- 
tions stood  towards  those  of  Babylonia  and  Palestine, 
we  shall  not  be  able  to  clear  up  the  connection 
between  the  two. 

There  are  some  differences  between  the  accounts  in 
Genesis  and  the  Inscriptions,  but  when  we  consider 
the  differences  between  the  two  countries  of  Palestine 
and  Babylonia  these  variations  do  not  appear  greater 
than  we  should  expect.  Chaldea  was  essentially  a 
mercantile  and  maritime  country,  well  watered  and 
flat,  while  Palestine  was  a  hilly  region  with  no  great 
rivers,  and  the  Jews  were  shut  out  from  the  coast, 
the  maritime  regions  being  mostly  in  the  hands  of 
the  Philistines  and  Phoenicians.  There  was  a  total 
difference  between  the  religious  ideas  of  the  two 
peoples,  the  Jews  believing  in  one  God,  the  creator 
and  lord  of  the  Universe,  while  the  Babylonians 
worshipped  gods  and  lords  many,  every  city  having 
its  local  deity,  and  these  being  joined  by  complicated 
relations  in  a  poetical  mythology,  which  was  in 
marked  contrast  to  the  severe  simplicity  of  the  Jewish 
system.  With  such  differences  it  was  only  natural 
that,  in  relating  the  same  stories,  each  nation  should 
coloiu'  them  in  accordance  with  its  own  ideas,  and 


286  THE    8T0BY   OF    THE   FLOOD 

stress  would  naturally  in  eacli  case  be  laid  upon 
points  with  which  they  were  familiar.  Thus  we  should 
expect  beforehand  that  there  would  be  differences  in 
the  narrative  such  as  we  actually  find,  and  we  may 
also  notice  that  the  cuneiform  account  does  not  always 
coincide  even  with  the  account  of  the  same  events 
given  by  Berosus  from  Chaldean  sources. 

The  great  value  of  the  inscriptions  describing  the 
Flood  consists  in  the  fact  that  they  form  an  inde- 
pendent testimony  in  favour  of  the  Biblical  narrative 
art  a"  much  earlier  date  than  any  other  evidence.  The 
principal  points  in  the  two  narratives  compared  in 
their  order  will  serve  to  show  the  correspondences 
and  differences  between  the  two. 

Bible — Genesis.   Deluge  tablet. 

1.  Command   to  build  the  Chap.  vi.       Col.  I. 

ark V.  14  1.  21 

2.  Sin  of  the  world    ...  v.  5  1.22 

3.  Threat  to  destroy  it  .     .  v.  7  1.  22 

4.  Seed  of  life  to  be  saved  .  v.  19  1.  23 

5.  Size  of  the  ark      .     .     .  v.  15  1.  25,  26 

6.  Animals  to  go  in  ark      .  v.  20  1.  43 

Col.  11. 

7.  Building  of  ark     ...  v.  22  1.  1-9 

8.  Coated  within  and  with- 

out with  bitumen      .     .  v.  14  1.  10,  U 

9.  Food  taken  in  the  ark    .  v.  21  1.  19 

Chap.  vii. 

10.  Comino-offlood    ...  v.  11  1.40 


AND    CONCLUSION.  287 


Bible — Genesis.  Deluge  tablet. 

Chap.  vii. 

Col.  III. 

11. 

Destruction  of  people     . 

V.  21 

1.  1-15 

12. 

Duration  of  deluge    .      v 

.12,17,24,&c. 
Chap.  viii. 

1.  19-21 

13. 

End  of  deluge  .... 

V.  13 

1.21-26 

14. 

Opening  of  window  .     . 

V.  6 

1.27 

15. 

Ark  rests  on  a  mountain 

V.  4 

1.  33 

16. 

Sending  forth  of  the  birds 

V.  7—12 

1.  384-4 

17. 

Leaving  the  ark    .     . 

V.  18,  19 

1.45 

18. 

Building  the  altar      .     . 

V.  20 

1.46 

19. 

The  sacrifice     .... 

V.  20 

1.  47,  48 

20. 

The  savour  of  the  offering 

V.  21 

1.49 

21. 

A  deluge  not  to  happen 

Chap.  ix. 

Col.  IV. 

again 

V.  11 

1.  17-20 

22. 

Covenant  and  blessing  . 

V.  9 

1.26 

23. 

Translation   of  the    pa- 
triarch   (in    Genesis    of 

Chap.  V. 

Enoch) 

V.24 

1.  28 

There  is  no  unexpected  or  material  difference  in 
the  first  four  of  these  points,  but  with  reference  to 
the  size  of  the  ark  there  is  certainly  a  discrepancy, 
for  although  the  Chaldean  measures  are  effaced  it  is 
evident  that  in  the  inscription  the  breadth  and  height 
of  the  vessel  are  stated  to  be  the  same,  while  these 
are  given  in  Genesis  as  fifty  cubits  and  thirty  cubits 
respectively. 

With  regard  to  those  who  were  saved  in  the  ark 
there  is  aoain  a  clear  difference  between    the   two 


288     THE   8T0BY    OF    THE    FLOOD 

accounts,  the  Bible  stating  tliat  only  eight  persons, 
all  of  the  family  of  Noah,  were  saved,  while  the  in- 
scri23tion  includes  his  servants,  friends,  and  boatmen 
or  pilots ;  but  certainly  the  most  remarkable  difference 
between  the  two  is  with  respect  to  the  duration  of  the 
deluge.  On  this  point  the  inscription  gives  seven 
days  for  the  flood,  and  seven  days  for  the  resting  of 
the  ark  on  the  mountain,  while  the  Bible  gives  the 
commencement  of  the  flood  on  the  17th  day  of  the 
second  month  and  its  termination  on  the  27th  day  of 
the  second  month  in  the  following  year,  making  a 
total  duration  of  one  year  and  ten  days.  Here  it 
may  be  remarked,  that  those  scholars  who  believe  in 
two  distinct  documents  being  included  in  Genesis, 
hold  that  in  the  Jehovistic  narrative  the  statement 
is  that  the  flood  lasted  forty  days,  which  is  certainly 
nearer  to  the  time  specified  in  the  cuneiform  text. 
Forty  is,  however,  often  an  ambiguous  word,  meaning 
"  many,"  and  not  necessarily  fixing  exactly  the 
number.  There  is  again  a  difl'erence  as  to  the  moun- 
tain on  which  the  ark  rested ;  Nizir,  the  place  men- 
tioned in  the  cuneiform  text,  being  east  of  Assyria, 
probably  between  latitudes  35°  and  6°  (see  "  Assy- 
rian Discoveries,"  jDp.  216,  217),  while  Ararat,  the 
mountain  mentioned  in  the  Bible,  was  north  of 
Assyria,  near  Lake  Van.  It  is  evident  that  difl'erent 
traditions  have  placed  the  mountain  of  the  ark  in 
totally  difl'erent  positions,  and  there  is  not  positive 
proof  as  to  which  is  the  earlier  traditionary  spot. 
The  word  Ararat  is  derived  from  an  old  Babylonian 
word  Urdu^  meaning  "  highland,"  and  might   be  a 


AND    CONCLUSION.  239 

general  term  for  any  hilly  country,  and  I  think  it 
quite  possible  that  when  Genesis  was  written  the  land 
of  Armenia  was  not  intended  by  this  term.  My  own 
view  is  that  the  more  southern  part  of  the  mountains 
east  of  Assyria  was  the  region  of  the  original  tradi- 
tion, and  that  the  other  sites  are  subsequent  identi- 
fications due  to  changes  in  geographical  names  and 
other  causes. 

In  the  account  of  sending  forth  the  birds  there  is 
a  difference  in  detail  between  the  Bible  and  the  In- 
scriptions which  cannot  be  explained  away ;  this  and 
other  similar  differences  will  serve  to  show  that 
neither  of  the  two  documents  is  copied  directly  from 
the  other. 

Some  of  the  other  differences  are  evidently  due  to 
the  opposite  religious  systems  of  the  two  countries, 
but  there  is  again  a  curious  point  in  connection  with 
the  close  of  the  Chaldean  legend,  this  is  the  transla- 
tion of  the  hero  of  the  Flood. 

In  the  Book  of  Genesis  it  is  not  Xoah  but  the 
seventh  patriarch  Enoch  who  is  translated,  three 
generations  before  the  Flood. 

There  appears  to  have  been  some  connection 
or  confusion  between  Enoch  and  Noah  in  ancient 
tradition ;  both  are  holy  men,  and  Enoch  is  said,  like 
Noah,  to  have  predicted  the  Flood. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  dynasty  of  gods,  with 
which  Egyptian  mythical  history  commences,  shows 
some  similar  points. 

This  dynasty  has  sometimes  seven,  sometimes  ten 


290  TEE    STOBY    OF    THE    FLOOD 

reigns,  and  in  the  Turin  Papyrus  of  kings,  which 
gives  ten  reigns,  there  is  the  same  name  for  the 
seventh  and  tenth  reign,  both  being  called  Horus, 
and  the  seventh  reign  is  stated  at  300  years,  which 
is  the  length  of  life  of  the  seventh  patriarch  Enoch 
after  the  birth  of  his  son. 

I  here  show  the  three  lists,  the  Egyptian  gods, 
the  Jewish  patriarchs,  and  Chaldean  kings. 


Egypt. 

Patriarchs. 

Chaldean  Kings. 

Ptah. 

Adam. 

Alorus. 

Ra. 

Seth. 

Alaparus. 

SlL 

Enos. 

Almelon. 

Seb. 

Cainan. 

Ammenon. 

Hosirl 

Mahalaleel. 

Amegalarus. 

Set. 

Jared. 

Daonus. 

Hor. 

Enocli. 

Jidorachus. 

Tut 

Methusaleh. 

Amemp.^in. 

Ma. 

Lamech. 

Otiartes. 

Hor. 

Noah. 

Xisuthrus. 

I  thhik  it  cannot  be  accidental  that  in  each  case 
we  have  ten  names,  but  on  the  other  hand  there  is 
no  resemblance  between  the  names,  which  appear  to 
be  independent  in  origin.  What  connection  there 
may  be  between  the  three  lists  we  have  at  present 
no  means  of  knowing.  It  is  probable  that  the  lite- 
rature of  the  old  Syrian  peoples,  if  it  should  ever  be 
recovered,  may  help  us  to  the  discovery  of  the  con- 
nection between  these  various  accounts. 

The  seal  which  I  have  figured,  p.  106,  belonged  to 


AND    CONCLUSION.  291 

a  Syrian  chief  in  the  ninth  century  B.C.,  and  the 
devices  upon  it,  the  sacred  tree,  and  composite 
beings,  show  similar  stories  and  ideas  to  have  pre- 
vailed there  to  those  in  Babylonia. 

One  question  which  will  be  asked,  and  asked  in 
vain  is :  "  Did  either  of  the  two  races,  Jews  or  Baby- 
lonians, borrow  from  the  other  the  traditions  of  these 
early  times,  and  if  so,  when  ?" 

There  is  one  point  in  connection  with  this  question 
worth  noticing :  these  traditions  are  not  fixed  to  any 
localities  near  Palestine,  but  are,  even  on  the  showing 
of  the  Jews  themselves,  fixed  to  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  Euphrates  valley,  and  Babylonia  in  particular ; 
this  of  course  is  clearly  stated  in  the  Babylonian 
inscriptions  and  traditions. 

Eden,  according  even  to  the  Jews,  was  by  the 
Euphrates  and  Tigris;  the  cities  of  Babylon,  La- 
rancha,  and  Sippara  were  supposed  to  have  been 
founded  before  the  Flood.  Surippak  was  the  city  of 
the  ark,  the  mountains  east  of  the  Tigris  were  the 
resting-place  of  the  ark,  Babylon  was  the  site  of  the 
tower,  and  Ur  of  the  Chaldees  the  birthplace  of 
Abraham.  These  facts  and  the  further  statement 
that  Abraham,  the  father  and  first  leader  of  the 
Hebrew  race,  migrated  from  Ur  to  Harran  in  Syria, 
and  from  there  to  Palestine,  are  all  so  much  evidence 
in  favour  of  the  hypothesis  that  Chaldea  was  the 
orio-inal  home  of  these  stories,  and  that  the  Jews 
received  them  originally  from  the  Babylonians  ;  but 
on  the  other  hand  there  are  such  striking  differences 


292  TEE    STOEY   OF    TEE    FLO  01 

in  some  parts  of  tlie  legends,  particularly  in  the 
names  of  the  patriarchs  before  the  Flood,  that  it  is 
evident  further  information  is  required  before  at- 
tempting to  decide  the  question.  Passing  to  the 
next,  the  twelfth  and  last  tablet,  the  picture  there 
given,  the  lament  for  Heabani,  and  the  curious  story 
of  his  ghost  rising  from  the  ground  at  the  bidding 
of  Merodach,  serve  to  make  this  as  important  in 
relation  to  the  Babylonian  religion  as  the  eleventh 
tablet  was  to  the  book  of  Genesis. 

Asakku  is  the  spirit  of  one  of  the  diseases,  and 
Simtar  is  the  attendant  of  the  goddess  of  Hades ;  the 
trouble  appears  to  be  that  Simtar  and  Asakku  would 
not  receive  the  soul  of  Heabani,  while  he  was  equally 
repudiated  by  Nergal  and  shut  out  from  the  region 
appointed  for  warlike  heroes.  The  soul  of  Heabani 
was  confined  to  the  earth,  and,  not  resting  there,  in- 
tercession was  made'  to  transfer  him  to  the  region  of 
the  blessed.  I  at  one  time  added  to  this  tablet  a 
fragment  which  then  appeared  to  belong  and  which 
I  interpreted  to  refer  to  Heabani's  dwelling  in  hell 
and  taking  his  way  from  there  to  heaven.  The  dis- 
covery of  a  new  fragment  has  forced  me  to  alter 
both  the  translation  and  position  of  this  notice, 
which  I  now  place  in  the  seventh  tablet.  This 
considerably  weakens  my  argument  that  the  Baby- 
lonians had  two  separate  regions  for  a  future  state, 
one  of  bliss,  the  other  of  joy. 

Under  the   fourth   column   I    have   provisionally 
placed  a  curious  fragment  where  Izdubar  appears 


AND    CONCLUSION.  293 

to  call  on  his  cities  to  mourn  with  him  for  his  friend. 
This  tablet  is  remarkable  for  the  number  of  cities 
mentioned  as  already  existing  in  the  time  of  Izdubar. 
Combining  this  notice  with  other  parts  of  the  legends, 
the  statements  of  Berosus  and  the  notice  of  the  cities 
of  Nimrod  in  Genesis,  we  get  the  following  list  of  the 
oldest  known  cities  in  the  Euphrates  valley. 


1.   Babylon. 

11.  Sippara. 

2.  Borsippa. 

12.  Kisu. 

3.  Cutha. 

13.  Harriskalama. 

4.  Larancha. 

14.  Ganganna. 

5.  Surippak. 

15.  Amarda. 

6.  Eridu. 

16.  Assur. 

7.  Nipur. 

17.  Nineveh. 

8.  Erech. 

18.  Rehobothair. 

9.  Akkad. 

19.  Resen. 

10.  Calneh. 

20.  Calah. 

So  far  as  the  various  statements  go,  all  these  cities 
and  probably  many  others  were  in  existence  in  the 
time  of  Nimrod,  and  some  of  them  even  before  the 
Flood ;  the  fact,  that  the  Babylonians  four  thousand 
years  ago  believed  their  cities  to  be  of  such  an- 
tiquity, shows  that  they  were  not  recent  foundations, 
and  their  attainments  at  that  time  in  the  arts  and 
sciences  proves  that  their  civilization  had  already 
known  ages  of  progress.  The  epoch  of  Izdubar  must 
be  considered  at  present  as  the  commencement  of 
the  united  monarchy  in  Babylonia,  and  as  marking 
the  first  of  the  series  of  great  conquests  in  Western 
Asia,   but  how  far  back  we  have  to  go  from  our 


294    THE    STOBY     OF    THE     FLOOD. 

earliest  known  monuments  to  reach  his  era  we  cannot 
now  tell. 

It  is  probable  that  after  the  death  of  Izdubar  the 
empire  he  had  founded  fell  to  pieces,  and  was  only 
partially  restored  when  Urukh,  king  of  Ur,  extended 
his  power  over  the  country  and  founded  the  Chaldean 
or  Southern  Sumerian  dynasty. 

Every  nation  has  its  hero,  and  it  was  only  natural 
on  the  revival  of  his  empire  that  the  Babylonians 
should  consecrate  the  memory  of  the  king,  who  had 
first  aimed  to  give  them  that  unity  without  which 
they  were  powerless  as  a  nation. 


Chaptee  XVII. 

CONCLUSIOIS-. 

Notices  of  Genesis. — Correspondence  of  names. — Abram. — 
Ur  of  Chaldees. — Ishmael. — Sargon. — His  Hrth. — Concealed  in 
ark. — Age  of  Nimrod. — Doubtful  theories. — Creation. — Garden 
of  Eden. — Cannes. — Berosus. — Izdubar  legends. — Urukh  of  Ur. 
— Babylonian  seals. — Egyptian  names. — Assyrian  sculptures. 

CATTERED  througli  various  cuneiform 
inscriptions  are  other  notices,  names,  or 
passages,  connected  with  the  Book  of 
Genesis.  Although  the  names  of  the 
Genesis  patriarchs  are  not  in  the  inscriptions  giving 
the  history  of  the  mythical  period,  the  corresponding 
personages  being,  as  I  have  shown  (p.  290),  all  under 
different  names,  yet  some  of  these  Genesis  patriarchal 
names  are  found  detached  in  the  inscriptions. 

The  name  Adam  is  in  the  Creation  legends,  but 
only  in  a  general  sense  as  man,  not  as  a  proper  name. 
Several  of  the  other  names  of  antediluvian  patriarchs 
correspond  with  Babylonian  words  and  roots,  such 
as  Cain  with  gina  and  kinu,  to  "  stand  upright,"  to  be 


296  CONCLUSION. 

"  right,"  Enoch  withEmukor  Enuk,"  wise,"  and  Xoah 
with  nuh,  "  rest,"  or  "  satisfaction ; "  but  beyond  these 
some  of  the  names  appear  as  proper  names  also  in 
Babylonia,  and  among  these  are  Cainan,  Lamech,  and 
Tubal  Cain. 

Cainan  is  found  as  the  name  of  a  Babylonian  town 
Kan-nan  ;  the  meaning  may  be  "  fish  canal,"  its  people 
were  sometimes  called  Kanunai  or  Canaanites,  the 
same  name  as  that  of  the  original  inhabitants  of 
Palestine.  In  early  times  tribes  often  migrated  and 
carried  their  geographical  names  to  their  new  homes ; 
it  is  possible  that  there  was  some  connection  of  this 
sort  between  the  two  Canaans. 

Lamech  has  already  been  pointed  out  by  Palmer 
("  Egyptian  Chronicles,"  vol.  i.  p.  56),  in  the  name  of 
the  Deified  Phoenician  patriarch  Diamich  ;  this  name  is 
found  in  the  cuneiform  texts  as  Dumuo;u  and  Lams-a, 
two  forms  of  a  name  of  the  moon. 

Tubal  Cain,  the  father  or  instructor  of  all  metal 
workers,  has  been  compared  with  the  name  of  Vulcan, 
the  god  of  smiths,  the  two  certainly  corresponding 
both  in  name  and  character.  The  corresponding 
deity  in  Babylonian  mythology,  the  god  of  fire, 
melter  of  metals,  &c.,  has  a  name  formed  of  two 
characters  which  read  Bil-kan. 

Some  of  the  names  of  patriarchs  after  the  Flood 
are  found  as  names  of  towns  in  Syria,  but  not  in 
Babylonia;  among  these  are  Reu  or  Ragu,  Serug, 
and  Harran. 

The  name  of  Abramu  or  Abram,  called  no  doubt 


CONCLUSION. 


297 


after  the  father  of  the  faithful,  is  found  in  the 
Assyrian  inscriptions  in  the  time  of  Esarhacldon. 
After  the  captivity  of  the  ten  tribes,  some  of  the 
Israelites  prospered  in  Assyria,  and  rose  to  positions 
of  trust  in  the  empire.  Abram  was  one  of  these,  he 
was  sukulu  rabu  or  "  great  attendant "  of  Esarhaddon, 
and  was  eponym  in  Assyria,  B.C.  677.     Various  other 


-i^M^ 


^^' 


MUGHEIIi,    THE    SITE    OE    Uk    OE    THE    ClI.VLDEES. 

Hebrew  names  are  found  in  AssjTia  about  this  time, 
including  Pekah,  Hoshea,  and  several  compounded  with 
the  two  Divine  names  Elohim  and  Jehovah,  showing 
that  both  these  names  were  in  use  among  the  Israelites. 
The  presence  of  proper  names  founded  on  the  Genesis 
stories,  like  Abram,  and  the  use  at  this  time  of  these 
forms  of  the  Divine  name,  should  be  taken  into  con- 
sideration in  discussing  the  evidence  of  the  antiquity 
of  Genesis. 


298  CONCLUSION. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  rise  of  the  kingdom  of 
Ur  (cir.  B.C.  2000  to  1850)  coincides  ^Yith  the  date 
generally  given  for  the  life  of  Abraham,  who  is  stated 
(Genesis  xi.  31)  to  have  come  out  of  Ur  of  the 
Chaldees,  by  which  title  I  have  no  doubt  the  Baby- 
lonian city  of  Ur  is  meant.  There  is  not  the  slightest 
evidence  of  a  northern  Ur  and.  a  northern  land  o 
the  Chaldees  at  this  period. 

Some  of  the  other  Genesis  names  are  found  very 
much  earlier,  the  first  which  appears  on  a  contem- 
porary monument  being  Ishmael.  In  the  reign  of 
Hammurabi,  king  of  Babylonia,  about  B.C.  1550, 
among  the  witnesses  to  some  documents  at  Larsa  in 
Babylonia,  appears  a  man  named  "  Abulia  son  of 
Ishmael."  This  period  in  Babylonia  is  supposed  to 
have  been  one  of  foreign  and  Arabian  dominion,  and 
other  Hittite  and  Arabian  names  are  found  in  the 
inscriptions  of  the  time. 

In  the  Babylonian  records  we  might  expect  to  find 
some  notice  of  the  wars  of  Chedorlaomer,  king  of 
Elam,  mentioned  in  Genesis  xiv.  Now  although 
evidence  has  been  found  confirming  the  existence  of 
a  powerful  monarchy  in  Elam  at  this  age,  and  satis- 
factory proof  of  the  correctness  of  the  proper  names 
mentioned  in  this  chapter,  no  direct  record  of  these 
conquests  has  been  discovered,  but  we  must  remem- 
ber that  our  knowledge  of  Babylonian  history  is  yet 
in  its  infancy,  and  even  the  outlines  of  the  chronology 
are  unknown. 

After  the  time  of  Abraham  the  book  of  Genesis  is 


CONCLUSION.  299 

concerned  with  the  afFairs  of  Palestine,  and  of  the 
countries  in  its  immediate  vicinity,  and  it  has  no 
connection  with  Babylonian  history  and  traditions ; 
there  remains,  however,  one  story  which  has  a  strik- 
ing likeness  to  that  of  Moses  in  the  ark,  and  which, 
although  not  within  the  period  covered  by  Genesis, 
is  of  great  interest  in  connection  with  the  early  history 
of  the  Jews. 

Sargnia  or  Sargon  I.  was  a  Babylonian  monarch 
who  reigned  at  the  city  of  Akkad  about  B.C.  1600. 
The  name  of  Sargon  signifies  the  right,  true,  or  legi- 
timate king,  and  may  have  been  assumed  on  his 
ascending  the  throne.  Sargon  was  probably  of 
obscure  origin,  and  desiring  to  strengthen  his  claim 
to  the  throne  put  out  the  story  given  in  this  tablet  to 
connect  himself  with  the  old  line  of  kings.  This 
curious  story  is  found  on  fragments  of  tablets  from 
Kouyunjik,  and  reads  as  follows  : 

1.  Sargina  the  powerful  king  the  king  of  Akkad 
am  I. 

2.  My  mother  was  a  princess,  my  father  I  did  not 
know,  a  brother  of  my  father  ruled  over  the  country. 

3.  In  the  city  of  Azupiranu  which  by  the  side  of 
the  river  Euphrates  is  situated 

4.  my  mother  the  princess  conceived  me ;  in 
difficulty  she  brought  me  forth 

5.  She  placed  me  in  an  ark  of  rushes,  with  bitumen 
my  exit  she  sealed  up. 

6.  She  launched  me  on  the  river  which  did  not 
drown  me. 


300  conclusion: 

7.  The  river  carried  me,  to  Akki  the  water  carrier 
it  brought  me. 

8.  Akki  the  water  carrier  in  tenderness  of  bowels 
lifted  me ; 

9.  Akki  the  water  carrier   as  his  child  brought 
me  up, 

10.  Akki  the  water  carrier  as  his  husbandman 
placed  me, 

11.  and  in  my  husbandry  Ishtar  prospered  me. 

12.  45  ?  years  the  kingdom  I  have  ruled, 

13.  the  people  of  the  dark  races  I  governed, 

14 over  rugged  countries  with  chariots  of 

bronze  I  rode, 

15.  I  govern  the  upper  countries 

16.  I  rule?  over  the  chiefs  of  the  lower  countries 

17.  To  the  sea  coast  three  times  I  advanced, 
Dilmun  submitted, 

18.  Durankigal  bowed,  &c.  &c. 

After  this  follows  an  address  to  any  king  who 
should  at  a  later  time  notice  the  inscription. 

This  story  is  supposed  to  have  happened  about 
B.C.  1600,  rather  earlier  than  the  supposed  age  of 
Moses;  and,  as  we  know  that  the  fame  of  Sargon 
reached  Egypt,  it  is  quite  likely  that  this  account 
had  a  connection  with  the  events  related  in  Exodus 
ii.,  for  every  action,  when  once  performed,  has  a 
tendency  to  be  repeated. 

In  the  body  of  my  present  work  I  have  given  the 
various  fragments  of  the  Legends  describing  the 
Creation,  Flood,  time  of  Nimrod,   &c. ;  and  I  have 


CONCLUSION.  801 

indicated,  as  well  as  I  can  at  present,  the  grounds 
for  my  present  conclusions  respecting  tliem,  and 
what  are  their  principal  points  of  contact  with  the 
Bible  narrative  of  Genesis. 

I  have  also  put  forward  some  theories  to  account 
for  various  difficulties  in  the  stories,  and  to  connect 
together  the  fragmentary  accounts. 

The  most  hazardous  of  these  theories  is  the  one 
which  makes  Izdubar  or  Nimrod  reign  in  the  middle 
of  the  twenty-third  century  before  the  Christian  era. 
I  have  founded  this  theory  on  several  plausible,  but 
probably  merely  suj^erficial  grounds ;  and  if  any  one 
accej^ts  my  view  on  this  point,  it  will  be  only  for 
similar  reasons  to  those  Avhich  caused  me  to  propose 
it;  namely,  because,  failing  this,  we  have  no  clue 
whatever  to  the  age  and  position  of  the  most  famous 
hero  in  Oriental  tradition. 

I  never  lose  sight  myself  of  the  fact,  that  apart 
from  the  more  perfect  and  main  parts  of  these  texts, 
both  in  the  decipherment  of  the  broken  fragments 
and  in  the  various  theories  1  have  projected  respect- 
ing them,  I  have  changed  my  own  opinions  many 
times,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  any  accession  of 
new  material  would  change  again  my  views  respect- 
ing the  parts  affected  by  it.  These  theories  and 
conclusions,  however,  although  not  always  correct, 
have,  on  their  way,  assisted  the  inquiry,  and  have 
led  to  the  more  accurate  knowledge  of  the  texts  ;  for 
certainly  in  cuneiform  matters  we  have  often  had  to 
advance  through  error  to  truth. 


302  GONGLUSION. 

In  my  theory  for  the  position  of  Nimrocl,  one 
thing  is  certainly  clear:  I  have  placed  him  as 
low  in  the  chronology  as  it  is  possible  to  make 
him. 

Making  the  date  of  Nimrod  so  recent  as  B.C.  2250, 
I  have  only  left  from  200  to  250  years  between  his 
time  and  the  age  of  the  oldest  known  monnments. 
Looking  at  the  fact  that  it  is  highly  probable  that 
these  legends  were  written  about  B.C.  2000,  the 
intervening  period  of  two  centuries  does  not  appear 
too  great.  I  think  it  probable  that  the  traditions  on 
which  these  legends  were  founded  arose  shortly  after 
the  death  of  Izdubar ;  in  fact,  I  think  that  every  tra- 
dition, which  has  any  foundation  in  fact  springs  up 
within  a  generation  of  the  time  when  the  circum- 
stances happened.  With  regard  to  the  supernatural 
element  introduced  into  the  story,  it  is  similar  in 
nature  to  many  such  additions  to  historical  narra- 
tives, especially  in  the  East;  but  I  would  not  reject 
those  events  which  may  have  happened,  because  in 
order  to  illustrate  a  current  belief,  or  add  to  the 
romance  of  the  story,  the  writer  has  introduced  the 
supernatural. 

There  is,  I  think,  now  too  general  a  tendency 
to  repudiate  the  earlier  part  of  history,  because  of 
its  evident  inaccuracies  and  the  marvellous  element 
generally  combined  with  it.  The  early  poems  and 
stories  of  almost  every  nation  are,  by  some  writers, 
resolved  into  elaborate  descriptions  of  natural  phe- 
nomena: and  in  some  cases,  if  this  were  true,  the 


CONCLUSION,  803 

myth  would  have  taken  to  create  it  a  genius  as  great 
as  that  of  the  philosophers  who  explain  it. 

The  stories  and  myths  given  in  the  foregoing 
pages  have,  probably,  very  different  values ;  some 
are  genuine  traditions — some  compiled  to  account 
for  natural  phenomena,  and  some  pure  romances. 
At  the  head  of  their  history  and  traditions  the 
Babylonians  placed  an  account  of  the  creation  of  the 
world ;  and,  although  different  forms  of  this  story 
were  current,  in  certain  features  they  all  agreed. 
Beside  the  account  of  the  present  animals,  they 
related  the  creation  of  legions  of  monster  forms 
which  disappeared  before  the  human  epoch,  and  they 
accounted  for  the  great  problem  of  humanity — the 
presence  of  evil  in  the  world — by  making  out  that  it 
proceeded  from  the  original  chaos,  the  spirit  of  con- 
fusion and  darkness,  which  was  the  origin  of  all 
things,  and  which  was  even  older  than  the  gods. 

The  principal  Babylonian  story  of  the  Creation, 
given  in  Chapter  Y.,  substantially  agrees,  as  far  as  it 
is  preserved,  with  the  Biblical  account.  According 
to  it,  there  was  a  chaos  of  watery  matter  before  the 
Creation,  and  from  this  all  things  were  generated. 

We  have  then  a  considerable  blank,  the  con- 
tents of  which  we  can  only  conjecture,  and  after 
this  we  come  to  the  creation  of  the  heavenly  orbs. 

The  fifth  tablet  in  the  series  relates  how  God 
created  the  constellations  of  the  stars,  the  signs  of 
the  zodiac,  the  planets  or  wandering  stars,  the  moon 
and  the  sun.     After  another  blank  we  have  a  fraf?- 


304  CONGL  USION. 

ment,  the  first  I  recognized  which  relates  the  crea- 
tion of  wild  and  domestic  animals ;  it  is  curious  here 
that  the  original  taming  of  domestic  animals  was 
even  then  so  far  back  that  all  knowledge  of  it  was 
lost,  and  the  "  animals  of  the  city,"  or  domestic 
animals,  were  considered  different  creations  to  the 
"  animals  of  the  desert,"  or  wild  animals. 

Our  next  fragments  refer  to  the  creation  of  man- 
kind, called  Adam,  as  in  the  Bible ;  he  is  made  per- 
fect, and  instructed  in  his  various  religious  duties, 
but  afterwards  he  joins  with  the  dragon  of  the  deep, 
the  animal  of  Tiamat,  the  spirit  of  chaos,  and 
offends  against  his  god,  who  curses  him,  and  calls 
down  on  his  head  all  the  evils  and  troubles  of 
humanity. 

This  is  followed  by  a  war  between  the  dragon  and 
powers  of  evil,  or  chaos  on  one  side  and  the  gods  on 
the  other.  The  gods  have  weapons  forged  for  them, 
and  Merodach  undertakes  to  lead  the  heavenly  host 
against  the  dragon.  The  war,  which  is  described 
with  spirit,  ends  of  course  in  the  triumph  of  the 
principles  of  good,  and  so  far  as  I  know  the  Creation 
tablets  end  here. 

In  Chapter  Y.  I  have  given  as  far  as  possible 
translations  and  comments  on  these  texts,  and  to 
meet  the  requirements  of  those  who  desire  to  study 
them  in  the  cuneiform  character  I  have  arranged  to 
publish  copies  of  the  principal  fragments  of  the  Crea- 
tion tablets  in  the  "Transactions  of  the  Society  of 
Biblical  Archaeology." 


conclusion:  sas 

The  fragments  I  have  selected  for  this  purpose 
are : — 

I.   Fragment   of  the    first  tablet,  describing   the 

chaos  at  the  bemnnins;  of  the  world. 
I[.   Fragment  of  the  fifth  tablet,  describing   the 
creation  of  the  heavenly  bodies. 

III.  Obverse  and  reverse  of  the  tablet,  describing 
the  fall  of  man. 

IV.  Obverse  and  reverse  of  the  principal  fragment, 
describing  the  conflict  between  the  gods  and 
the  spirit  of  chaos. 

Besides  this  account  of  the  Creation  I  have  given 
other  fragments  bearing  upon  the  same  events,  these 
differing  considerably  from  the  longer  account.  The 
principal  feature  in  the  second  account  is  the  de- 
scription of  the  eagle-headed  men  with  their  family 
of  leaders — this  legend  clearly  showing  the  origin  of 
the  eagle-headed  figures  represented  on  the  Assyrian 
sculptures. 

It  is  probable  that  some  of  these  Babylonian  le- 
gends contained  detailed  descriptions  of  the  Garden 
of  Eden,  which  was  most  likely  the  district  of  Kar- 
duniyas,  as  Sir  Henry  Rawlinson  believes. 

There  are  coincidences  in  respect  to  the  geography 
of  the  region  and  its  name  which  render  the  identi- 
fication very  probable ;  the  four  rivers  in  each  case, 
two,  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris,  certainly  identical, 
the  known  fertility  of  the  region,  its  name,  some- 
times Gan-dunu,  so  siniihir  to  Gan-eden  (the  Gar- 
den of  Eden),  and    other  considerations,    all    tend 

X 


soG  conclusion; 

towards    tlie    view    that    it     is     tlie     Paradise     of 
Genesis. 

There  are  evidences  of  the  belief  in  the  tree  of 
life,  which  is  one  of  the  most  common  emblems  on 
the  seals  and  larger  sculptures,  and  is  even  used 
as  an  ornament  on  dresses;  a  sacred  tree  is  also 
several  times  mentioned  in  these  legends,  but  at 
present  there  is  no  direct  connection  known  between 
the  tree  and  the  Fall,  although  the  gem  engravings 
render  it  very  probable  that  there  was  a  legend  of 
this  kind  like  the  one  in  Genesis. 

In  the  history  of  Berosus  mention  is  made  of  a 
composite  being,  half  man,  half  fish,  named  Cannes, 
who  was  supposed  to  have  appeared  out  of  the  sea 
and  to  have  taught  to  the  Babylonians  all  their 
learning.  The  Babylonian  and  Assyrian  sculptures 
have  made  us  familiar  with  the  figure  of  Cannes,  and 
have  so  far  given  evidence  that  Berosus  has  truly 
described  this  mythological  figure,  but  it  is  a  curious 
fact  that  the  legend  of  Cannes,  which  must  have  been 
one  of  the  Babylonian  stories  of  the  Creation,  has  not 
yet  been  recovered. 

Besides  this,  there  are  evidently  many  stories  of 
early  times  still  unknown,  or  only  known  by  mere 
fragments  or  allusions. 

The  fables  which  I  have  given  in  Chapter  IX. 
form  a  series  now  appearing  to  be  separate  from  the 
others,  and  my  only  excuse  for  inserting  them  here 
was  my  desire  to  exhibit  as  clearly  and  fully  as 
possible  the  literature  of  the  great  epoch  which  pro- 
duced the  Genesis  tablets. 


Cannes.     From  Nimroud  Sculpture. 


CONCLUSION.  307 

Most  of  the  other  stories,  so  far  as  I  can  judge, 
are  fixed  to  the  great  period  before  the  Flood,  when 
celestial  visitors  came  backwards  and  forwards  to  the 
earth,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  were  very 
clearly  divided  into  the  good  and  bad,  but  the  stories 
are  only  fables  with  a  moral  attached,  and  have  little 
connection  with  Babylonian  history. 

Two  of  these  stories  are  very  curious,  and  may 
hereafter  turn  out  of  great  importance;  one  is  the 
story  of  the  sin  committed  by  the  god  Zu,  and  the 
other  the  story  of  Atarpi. 

Berosus  in  his  history  has  given  an  account  of  ten 
Chaldean  kings  who  reigned  before  the  Flood,  and  the 
close  of  this  period  is  well  known  from  the  descriptions 
of  the  Deluge  in  the  Bible,  the  Deluge  tablet,  and 
the  work  of  Berosus.  According  to  Berosus  several 
of  the  Babylonian  cities  Avere  built  before  the  Flood, 
and  various  arts  were  known,  including  writing.  The 
enormous  reigns  given  by  Berosus  to  his  ten  kings, 
making  a  total  of  432,000  years,  force  us  to  discard 
the  idea  that  the  details  are  historical,  although  there 
may  be  some  foundation  for  his  statement  of  a  civili- 
zation before  the  Deluge.  The  details  given  in  the 
inscriptions  describing  the  Flood  leave  no  doubt  that 
both  the  Bible  and  the  Babylonian  story  describe 
the  same  event,  and  the  Flood  becomes  the  starting 
point  for  the  modern  world  in  both  histories.  Accord- 
ing to  Berosus  86  kings  reigned  for  34,080  years  after 
the  Flood  down  to  the  Median  conquest.  If  these 
kings  are  historical,  it  is  doubtful  if  they  formed  a 
coytinuous  line,  and  they  could  scarcely  cover  a  longer 


308  CONCLUSION. 

period  than  1,000  years.  The  IMedian  or  Elamite 
conquest  took  place  about  B.C.  2450,  and,  if  we  allow 
the  round  number  1,000  years  for  the  previous 
period,  it  will  make  the  Flood  fall  about  B.C.  3500. 
In  a  fragmentary  inscription  with  a  list  of  Babylonian 
kings,  some  names  are  given  which  appear  to  belong 
to  the  86  kings  of  Berosus,  but  our  information  about 
this  period  is  so  scanty  that  nothing  can  be  said 
about  this  dynasty,  and  a  suggestion  as  to  the  date 
of  the  Deluge  must  be  received  with  more  than  the 
usual  grain  of  salt. 

We  can  see,  however,  that  there  was  a  civilized 
race  in  Babylonia  before  the  Median  Conquest,  the 
progress  of  which  must  have  received  a  rude  shock 
when  the  country  was  overrun  by  the  uncivilized 
Eastern  borderers. 

Among  the  fragmentary  notices  of  this  period  is 
the  portion  of  the  inscription  describing  the  building 
of  the  Tower  of  Babel  and  the  dispersion,  unfortunately 
too  mutilated  to  make  much  use  of  it. 

It  is  probable  from  the  fragments  of  Berosus  that 
the  incursions  and  dominion  of  the  Elamites  lasted 
about  two  hundred  years,  during  which  the  country 
suffered  very  much  from  them. 

I  think  it  probable  that  Izdubar,  or  Nimrod,  owed 
a  great  portion  of  his  fame  in  the  first  instance  to  his 
slaying  Humbaba,  and  that  he  readily  found  the 
means  of  uniting  the  country  under  one  sceptre,  as 
the  people  saw  the  evils  of  disunion,  which  weakened 
them  and  laid  them  open  to  foreign  invasion. 


CONCLUSION.  309 

The  legends  of  Izclubar  or  Ximrod  commence  with 
a  description  of  the  evils  brought  upon  Babylonia  by 
foreign  invasion,  the  conquest  and  sacking  of  the  city 
of  Erech  being  one  of  the  incidents  in  the  story. 
Izdubar,  a  famous  hunter,  who  claimed  descent  from 
a  long  line  of  kings,  reaching  up  to  the  time  of  the 
Flood,  now  comes  forward ;  he  has  a  dream,  and  after 
much  trouble  a  hermit  named  Heabani  is  persuaded 
by  Zaidu,  a  hunter,  and  two  females,  to  come  to 
Erech  and  interpret  the  dream  of  Izdubar.  Ileabani, 
having  heard  the  fame  of  Izdubar,  brings  to  Erech  a 
midannu  or  tiger  to  test  his  strength,  and  Izdubar 
slays  it.  After  these  things,  Izdubar  and  Heabani 
become  friends,  and,  having  invoked  the  gods,  they 
start  to  attack  Humbaba,  an  Elamite,  who  tyrannized 
over  Babylonia.  Humbaba  dwelt  in  a  thick  forest, 
surrounded  by  a  wall,  and  here  he  was  visited  by  the 
two  friends,  who  slew  him  and  carried  off  his  regalia. 

Izdubar  was  now  proclaimed  king,  and  extended 
his  authority  from  the  Persian  Gulf  to  the  Armenian 
mountains,  his  court  and  palace  being  at  Erech. 
Ishtar,  called  Nana  and  Uzur-amatsa,  the  daughter 
according  to  some  authorities  of  Anu,  according  to 
others  of  Elu  or  Bel,  and  according  to  others  of  Sin, 
the  moon  god,  was  widow  of  Dumuzi,  a  rihu  or  ruler. 
She  was  queen  and  goddess  of  Erech,  and  fell  in  love 
with  Izdubar,  offering  him  her  hand  and  kingdom. 
He  refused,  and  the  goddess,  angry  at  his  answer, 
ascended  to  heaven  and  petitioned  her  father  Anu  to 
create  a  bull  for  her,  to  be   an  instrument  of  her 


810  CONCLUSION. 

v^engeance  against  Izdubar.  Anu  complied,  and 
created  tlie  bull,  on  wliicli  Izdubar  and  Heabani 
collected  a  band  of  warriors  and  went  against  it. 
Heabani  took  hold  of  the  animal  by  its  head  and  tail, 
while  Izdubar  slew  it. 

Ishtar  on  this  cursed  Izdubar,  and  descended  to 
Hell  or  Hades  to  attempt  once  more  to  summon 
unearthly  powers  against  Izdubar.  She  descends 
to  the  infernal  regions,  which  are  vividly  described, 
and,  passing  through  its  seven  gates,  is  ushered  into 
the  presence  of  the  queen  of  the  dead.  The  world  of 
love  goes  wrong  in  the  absence  of  Ishtar,  and  on  the 
petition  of  the  gods  she  is  once  more  brought  to  the 
earth,  ultimately  Anatu,  her  mother,  satisfpng  her 
vengeance  by  striking  Izdubar  with  a  loathsome 
disease. 

Heabani,  the  friend  of  Izdubar,  is  now  killed,  and 
Izdubar,  mourning  his  double  afHiction,  abandons  his 
kino-dom  and  wanders   into  the  desert  to  seek  the 

o 

advice  of  Hasisadra  his  ancestor,  who  had  been  trans- 
lated for  his  piety  and  now  dwelt  with  the  gods. 

Izdubar  now  had  a  dream,  and  after  this  wandered 
to  the  region  where  gigantic  composite  monsters  held 
and  controlled  the  rising  and  setting  sun,  from  these 
learned  the  road  to  the  region  of  the  blessed,  and, 
passing  across  a  great  waste  of  sand,  he  arrived  at  a 
region  where  splendid  trees  were  laden  with  jewels 
instead  of  fruit. 

Izdubar  then  met  two  females,  named  Siduri  and 
Sabitu,   after  an  adventure  with  whom  he  found  a 


CONCLUSION.  311 

boatman  named  Ur-liamsi,  wlio  undertook  to  navigate 
him  to  the  region  of  Hasisadra. 

Coming  near  the  dwelling  of  the  blessed,  he  found 
it  surrounded  by  the  waters  of  death,  which  he  had 
to  cross  in  order  to  reach  the  region. 

On  arriving  at  the  other  side,  Izdubar  was  met  by 
one  Ragmu,  who  engaged  him  in  conversation  about 
Heabani,  and  then  Hasisadra,  taking  up  the  conver- 
sation, described  to  him  the  Deluge.  Izdubar  was 
afterwards  cured  of  his  illness  and  returned  with 
Urhamsi  to  Erech,  where  he  mourned  anew  for  his 
friend  Heabani,  and  on  intercession  with  the  gods 
the  ghost  of  Heabani  arises  from  the  ground  where 
the  body  had  lain. 

The  details  of  this  story,  and  especially  the 
accounts  of  the  regions  inhabited  by  the  dead,  are 
very  striking,  and  illustrate,  in  a  wonderful  manner, 
the  religious  views  of  the  people. 

It  is  probable  that  Izdubar  was,  as  I  have  already 
stated,  Nimrod,  and  that  he  commenced  his  life  as  a 
hunter,  afterwards  delivering  his  country  from 
foreign  dominion,  and  slaying  the  usurper. 

He  then  extended  his  empire  into  Assyria,  which 
he  colonized,  and  founded  Nineveh.  The  empire 
founded  by  Nimrod  probably  fell  to  pieces  at  his 
death ;  but  the  Assyrian  colonies  grew  into  a  power- 
ful state,  and  after  a  brief  period.  Babylonia  revived 
under  Urukh,  king  of  Ur,  with  whom  commenced 
the  monumental  era. 

Here  the  legendary  and  traditional  age  ends,  an 


312  CONCLUSION. 

about  this  time  the  stories  appear  to  have  been  com- 
mitted to  writing. 

It  is  worth  while  here  to  pause,  and  consider  the 
evidence  of  the  existence  of  these  legends  from  this 
time  down  to  the  seventh  century  B.C. 

We  have  first  the  seals :  of  these  there  are  some 
hundreds  in  European  museums,  and  among  the 
earliest  are  many  specimens  carved  with  scenes  from 
the  Genesis  legends ;  some  of  these  are  probably 
older  than  B.C.  2000,  others  may  be  ranged  at 
various  dates  down  to  B.C.  1500. 

The  specimens  engraved  in  pp.  39,  91,  95,  100, 
158,  159,  188,  239,  257,  262,  283  are  from  Babylo- 
nian seals,  Avhile  those  in  pp.  41,  89,  99  are  from 
Assja-ian  seals.  One  very  fine  and  early  example  is 
photographed  as  the  frontispiece  of  the  present  work. 
The  character  and  style  of  the  cuneiform  legend 
which  accompanies  this  shows  it  to  be  one  of  the 
most  ancient  specimens;  it  is  engraved  on  a  hard 
jasper  cylinder  in  bold  style,  and  is  a  remarkable 
example  of  early  Babylonian  art.  Many  other 
similar  c}  linders  of  the  same  period  are  known ;  the 
relief  on  them  is  bolder  than  on  the  later  seals,  on 
which  from  about  B.C.  IGOO  or  1700,  a  change  in  the 
inscriptions  becomes  general. 

Tlie  numerous  illustrations  to  the  present  work, 
which  I  have  collected  from  these  early  Babylonian 
seals,  will  serve  to  show  the  fact  that  the  legends 
were  at  that  time  well  known,  and  part  of  the  litera- 
ture of  the  country. 


CONCLUSION.  313 

There  is  another  curious  illustration  of  the  legenc^i 
of  Izdubar  in  the  tablet  printed,  p.  46  of  "Cunei- 
form Inscriptions,"  vol.  ii.  Our  copy  of  this  tablet 
is  dated  in  the  seventh  century  b c;  but  the  geo- 
graphical notices  on  it  show  that  the  original  must 
have  been  written  during  the  supremacy  of  the  city 
of  Ur,  between  B.C.  2000  and  1850.  In  this  tablet 
Surippak  is  called  the  ark  city,  and  mention  is  made 
of  the  ship  of  Izdubar,  showing  a  knowledge  of  the 
story  of  his  voyage  to  find  Hasisadra. 

After  B.C.  1500,  the  literature  of  Babylonia  is 
unknown,  and  we  lose  sight  of  all  evidence  of  these 
legends  for  some  centuries.  In  the  meantime  Egypt 
supphes  a  few  notices  bearing  on  the  subject,  which 
serve  to  show  that  knowledge  of  them  was  still  kept 
up.  Xearly  thirteen  hundred  years  before  the 
Christian  era  one  of  the  Egyptian  poems  likens  a 
hero  to  the  Assyrian  chief,  Kazartu,  a  great  hunter. 
Kazartu  probably  means  a  '^  strong,"  "  powerful," 
one,  and  it  has  already  been  suggested  that  the 
reference  here  is  to  the  fame  of  Nimrod.  A  little 
later,  in  the  period  B.C.  1100  to  800,  we  have  in 
Egypt  many  persons  named  after  Nimrod,  showing 
a  knowledge  of  the  mighty  hunter  there. 

On  the  revival  of  the  Assyrian  empire,  about  B.C. 
990,  we  come  again  to  numerous  references  to  the 
Genesis  legends,  and  these  continue  through  almost 
every  reign  down  to  the  close  of  the  empire.  The 
Assyrians  carved  the  sacred  tree  and  cherubims  on 
their  walls,  they  depicted  in  the  temples  the  struggle 


314  CONCLUSION. 

between  ]\Ieroclach  and  the  dragon,  the  figure  of 
Oannes  and  the  eagle-headed  man,  they  decorated 
their  portals  with  figures  of  Nimrod  strangling  a 
lion,  and  carved  the  struggles  of  Nimrod  and 
Heabani  with  the  lion  and  the  bull  even  on  their 
stone  vases. 

Just  as  the  sculptures  of  the  Greek  temples,  the 
paintings  on  the  vases  and  the  carving  on  their  gem-s 
were  taken  from  their  myths  and  legends,  so  the 
series  of  myths  and  legends  belonging  to  the  valley  of 
the  Euphrates  furnished  materials  for  the  sculptor, 
the  engraver,  and  the  painter,  among  the  ancient 
Babylonians  and  Assyrians. 

In  this  way  we  have  continued  evidence  of  the 
existence  of  these  legends  down  to  the  time  of  As- 
surbanipal,  B.C.  673  to  626,  who  caused  the  present 
known  copies  to  be  made  for  his  library  at  Nineveh. 

Search  in  Babylonia  would,  no  doubt,  yield  much 
earlier  copies  of  all  these  works,  but  that  search  has 
not  yet  been  instituted,  and  for  the  present  we  have 
to  be  contented  with  our  Assyrian  copies.  Looking, 
however,  at  the  world-wide  interest  of  the  subjects, 
and  at  the  important  evidence  which  perfect  copies  of 
these  works  would  undoubtedly  give,  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  the  subject  of  further  search  and  discovery 
will  not  slumber,  and  that  all  I  have  here  written 
will  one  day  be  superseded  by  newer  texts  and  fuller 
and  more  perfect  light. 


INDEX. 


PBKAM,  29G. 

Abjdeuus,  45,  46. 

Accad  or  Akkad,  25, 
293. 

Adrahasis,  265,  272. 
Age  of  documents,  23. 
Alaparus,  46. 

Alexander  Polyliistor,  38,  49. 
Alexander  the  Great,  1. 
Alorus,  45,  46. 
Amarda,  293. 
Araempsin,  46. 
Amillarus,  46. 
Ammenon,  46. 
Anatu,  55. 
Ancmentus,  47. 
Animals,  creation  of,  76. 
Antiquity  of  legends,  28. 
Anu,  53,  54,  109,  116. 
Anus,  50. 
Apason,  49. 
Apollodorus,  45. 
Ardates,  42. 
Ark,  48,  264,  265. 


Armenia,  47. 
Arnold,  Mr.  E.,  6. 
Ain-angement  of  tablets,  20,  21. 
Assorus,  50. 
Assur,  31,  293. 
Assurbanipal,  6,  33. 
Assur-nazir-pal,  31. 
Assyrian  excavations,  6. 
Atarpi,  story  of,  154,  155. 
Athenaeum,  8. 
Aus,  50. 

Babel,  17. 
Babil  mound,  163. 
Babylon,  45,  48,  293. 
Babylonia,  44. 
Babylonian  cit'os,  293. 

legends,  3. 

seals,  168. 

sources  of  literature,  22. 
Bel,  53,  58,  99. 
Belat,  53. 
Belus,  42,  50. 
Berosus,  1,  14,  37,  46. 


316 


INDEX. 


Bil-kan,  56. 

Birs  Ninmul,  162. 

Borsippa,  293. 

Bull,  destruction  of,  224. 

Calah,  293. 

Calneh,  293. 

Cedars,  208. 

Chaldean  account  of  deluge,  7. 

astrology,  2Q. 

dynasties,  186. 
Change  in  Assyrian  language,  23. 
Chaos,  65. 

Chronology,  24,  25,  189-191. 
Clay  records,  22. 
Coming  of  deluge,  267,  S38. 
Comparison  of  accounts  of  creation, 
72. 

of  deluge,  284-289. 
Composite  creatures,  40,  41,  102, 

103. 
Conclusion,  295. 
Conquest  of  Babylon,  24. 

of  Erech,  184. 

of  Humbaba,  216. 
Constellations,  creation  of,  69. 
Contents  of  library,  34. 
Copies  of  texts,  305. 
Corcyrsean  mountains.  44. 
Cory,  translations  of,  38-50. 
Creation, 1.3, 7,12,17,61,101,303. 
Creation  of  animals,  76. 

of  man,  15,  77,  78. 

of  moon,  70. 

of  stars,  69. 

of  sun,  70. 


Cronos,  47,  48, 49. 
Cure  of  Izdubar,  275. 
Cutha,  27,  105,  293. 

Dache,  50. 

Dachus,  50. 

Dsesius,  month,  47. 

"  Daily  Telegraph,"  6,  11,  16. 

collection,  15. 
Damascius,  49. 
Daunat,  199. 
Daonus,  45. 
Daos,  46. 

Date  of  Nimrod,  302. 
Davce,  50. 
Davkina,  57. 
Death  of  Heabani,  257. 
Delitzsch,  Dr.,  121. 
Deluge,  1,  4,  5,  46,  48,  167,  169. 

tablet,  10,  16. 

predicted,  265. 

commencement  of,  267. 

destruction  wrought  hj,  268. 

end  of,  269. 
Descent  to  Hades,  227. 
Description  of  Hades,  227-229. 

of  Izdubar  legends,  170. 
Destruction  made  by  deluge,  268, 

269. 
Dragon,  90,  91. 
Dreams  of  Izdubar,  194,  245. 

Eagle,  17. 

Eagle-headed  men,  106. 
Eagle,  fable  of,  138. 
Eden,  3,  88,  291,  306. 


INDEX. 


317 


Elamitcs,  187. 
Encuboulus,  47. 
Eneugamus,  47. 
Erech,  129,  183,  293. 
Eridu,  293. 
Esarhadilon,  32. 
Etana,  17,  140, 141. 
EuedocHS,  47. 
Euedoracbus,  45. 
Euedoreschus,  47. 
Evil  spirits,  legend  of,  27. 
Expedition  to  Assyria,  11. 
Exploits  of  Lubara,  26. 

Fables,  17,  18,  137. 

Fall,  13. 

Fifth  tablet  of  tbe  creation,  69-71. 

Filling  the  ark,  267. 

First  tablet  of  tbe  creation,  62. 

Flood,  1,  264,  307. 

Forest  of  Humbaba,  214. 

Fox,  fable  of,  144. 

Fox  Talbot,  Mr.,  239. 

Fragments  of  tablets,  19. 

Ganganna,  293. 
Generation  of  tbe  gods,  66, 
Genesis,  1,  3,  11, 

stones,  33. 
God  Zu,  113,  122. 

Hammurabi,  24. 
Harriskalama,  293. 
Hasisadra,  256,  262. 
Hea,  53,  109,  111. 
Heabani,  7,  193,  198. 


Heabani  comes  to  Erech,  204. 
History  of  Izdubar,  309-311, 
Horse  and  ox,  ftvble  of,  147-150. 
Humbaba,  185,  207,  213. 

minus,  50, 

Isbmael,  298, 

Ishtar,  17,  54,  56,  108, 129,  217. 

loves  Izdubar,  218. 

amours  of,  220. 

anger  of,  221, 

descent  to  Hades,  227. 

in  Hades,  231. 

return  of,  235. 
Ismi-dagan,  26. 
Itak,  124. 
Izdubar,  5,  173,  194,  308. 

legends,  8,  18,  27,  167,  170. 

same  as  Nimrod,  167,  168. 

parentage,  173. 

exploits  of,  174,  203. 

conquers  Humbaba,  216. 

loved  by  Ishtar,  218. 

struck  with  disease,  245. 

wanderings  of,  247. 

meets  scorpion  men,  248. 

travels  over  desert,  251. 

meets  Sabitu  and  Siduri,  253. 

meets  Urhamsi,  254. 

sees  Hasisadra,  260. 

hears  the  story  of  the  flood,  264. 

cured  of  his  illness,  275. 

returns  to  Erech,  277. 

mourns  for  Heabani,  279. 

friendship  with  Heabani,  193. 

dream  of,  194. 


318  INDEX. 


Jewish  traditions,  28-i, 
Jove,  49. 

Karrak,  25,  30. 
Kissare,  50. 
Kisii,  293. 
Koujunjik,  2,  19. 
Ivudur-mabuk,  31. 

Lament  of  Izdubar,  278-280. 

Language  of  inscriptions,  23. 

Larancha,  4G,  293. 

Larsa,  25,  26,  30. 

Layard,  Mr.,  2. 

Lecture  on  the  dehige,  11. 

Lenormant,  M.  F.,  8,  239. 

Libraries,  20. 

Library  of  Assurbanipal,  33. 

Literary  period,  29. 

Literature,  Babylonian  and   Assy- 
rian, 19. 

Local  mythology,  52. 

Lubara,  17. 

exi^loits  of,  123-136. 

Mamitu,  2G1. 

Man,  creation  of,  77,  78. 

fall  of,  83-87. 

pure,  79,  80. 

rebels,  81. 
Megalarus,  45,  46. 
Merodach,  53,  57, 112. 
Minyas,  48. 

Miscellaneous  texts,  153. 
Moon,  creation  of,  70. 
Moses,  48,  300. 


Moymis,  50. 
Mummu-tiamf!*,  63-65. 
Mythological  taljlcts,  4. 
Mythology,  51. 

Nabubalidina,  32. 
Names  in  Genesis,  295. 
Natural  history,  35. 
Nebo,  58,  118. 
Nebuchadnezzar,  36,  166. 
Nergal,  53,  59,  105. 
Nicolaus  Damascenus,  48. 
Nimrod,  167,  174-183,  301. 
Nineveh,  293. 
Ninip,  53,  59. 
Nipur,  293. 
Nizir,  4,  270. 

"  North  Briti-h  Eeview,"  239. 
Notices  of  legemls,  312-314. 
Nusku,  53. 

Cannes,  39,  45,  46,  306. 
Odacon,  45. 
Omoroca,  41. 
Oppert,  Prof.,  239. 
Otiartes,  46. 

Pantibiblon,  45,  46. 

Paradise,  251, 

Patriarchs,  290. 

Pentateuch,  14. 

Pine  trees,  207. 

Planets,  creation  of,  70. 

Position  of  inscribed  fragments,  20, 

Prometheus,  49, 


INDEX. 


319 


Queen,  great,  209, 

Kagmu,  257. 

Eawliuson,  Sir  H.  C,  2,  3,  8,  86, 

88,  164,  165, 178,  179. 
Eehobothair,  293. 
Kesen,  293. 

Resurrection  of  Heabani,  281. 
Rctui-n  of  Izdubar  to  Erech,  277. 
Riddle  of  tbe  wise  man,  150,  157. 

Sabitu,  253. 
Sacrifice,  271. 
Sargon,  20,  32,  299. 

saved  in  ark,  299. 
Sarturda,  119,  194. 
Satan,  14. 

Sayce,  Rev.  A.  H.,  8. 
Scorpion  men,  249. 
Semitic  race,  188. 
Senaar,  49. 

Sending  out  birds,  270. 
Sennacherib,  32. 
Serpent,  139,  140. 
Seven  evil  spirits,  17,  107.    . 
Siduri,  253. 
Sin,  53,  59. 
SinofZu,  113. 
Sinuri,  157,  158. 
Sippara,  43,  45,  293. 
Sisithrus,  47. 
Shalmaneser  11.,  32. 
Shamas,  53,  59,  109,  197. 
Society  of  Biblical  Arclisculogy,  5, 

283,  304,. 
Speaking  trees,  243. 


Stars,  creation  of,  69, 
Story  of  Islitar,  151. 
Sumir,  25. 
Sun,  creation  of,  70. 
Surippak,  293. 
Sibyl,  49. 

Table  of  gods,  60. 

Tablets,  mutilation  of,  9. 

Tablets  upon  evil  spirits,  111, 

Tauth,  49. 

Thalassa,  41. 

Thalatth,  14,  41. 

Tiamat,  14,  99,  107. 

Tiglath  Pileser,  32. 

Tisallat,  14. 

Titan,  48,  49. 

Tower  in  stages,  164, 165. 

Tower  of  Babel,  8,  9,  13,  48,  158- 

161. 
Traditions  collected,  28. 

of  Genesis,  29. 
Tugulti-ninip,  24. 

Uddusu-namir,  240. 
Ur,  25,  30. 

Urhamsi,  254,  274,  275. 
Urukh,  25,  30,  294. 

Vul,  53,  55, 108,  109,  110,  117. 

"War  in  heaven,  92-98. 
with  evil,  304. 

Xisuthrus,  42,  43,  44,  46, 
Zaidu,  200. 
Zinit-baiiit,  58. 


^^^ 


o»  Tn: 


TJSIVBF.ITf 


A  NEW   EDITION   NOW  READY. 


An  Important  Work  by  the  Author  of  "The  Chaldean  Account  of  the  Genesis." 

3£ssgrian   HisrobFrifs, 

An  Account  of  Explorations  and  Discoveries  on  the  Site  of  Nineveh  during 
IS 73  and  1874. 

0/  the  Depart )>ient  of  Oriental  Antiquities,  British  Museum^  author  of  ^''  History  of 
Assiirbattipal,"  &^c.,  dr-r. 

With   Maps,  "Wood-Cuts,   and   Photographs.        One   vol.,   8vo,   cloth,   $4.00. 


OPINIONS     OF    THE     PRESS. 

From  the  London  Athencnim, 
"In  this  volume  Mr.  Smith  tells  us,  in  modest  and  unassuming  language,  the  results  of  two  visits  he  made, 
first,  at  the  instance  of  the  Daily  Telegra/>h,  and,  secondly,  for  the  trustees  of  the  British  Museum,  to  sites  which, 
twenty  years  ago,  were  so  well  known  from  the  labors  of  Layard  and  Loftus,  visits  the  more  interesting  that  they 
were  entirely  due  to  his  discovery,  on  some  fragments  of  Assyrian  cuneiform  tablets  procured  by  the  former  tra- 
veler, of  what  reads  like  a  Babylonian  version  of  the  Noachian  Deluge.  It  is  a  record  of  discoveries  of  which  any 
man  might  be  proud.  Besides  the  legends  of  the  Flood,  and  the  inscriptions  of  Assurbanipal,  Mr.  Smith's  volume 
contains  many  interesting  details  from  the  Early  Babylonian  Texts,  the  Early  Assyrian  Inscriptions,  with  others 
of  Tiglath  Pileser  the  Second,  Sargon,  Sennacherib,  and  Esarhaddon,  down  to  the  fall  of  Nineveh.  Among  these 
will  be  found  many  confirmations  of  Biblical  history,  the  names  of  five  Hebrew  kings  having  been  now  detected, 
three  of  them  (we  believe)  by  Mr.  Smith  himself." 

From   the  N.    V.  Daily    Tribune. 
"  Mr.  Smith  appears  to  have  engaged  in  his  work  with  equal  ardor,  perseverance,  and  good  judgment.     His 
h.abits  as  a  scholar  have  not  impaired  his  efficiency  as  a  practical  man.     The  recital  of  his  experience  is  marked  by 
frankness,  modesty,  and  great  intelligence." 

From   the   St.   Louis   Democrat. 

"The  book  reveals  much  of  the  hitherto  hidden  history  of  the  Assyrian  empire,  and  shows  that  its  people  were 
wise  in  many  things.  The  maxims  translated  from  the  records,  and  the  curious  devices  and  pictures  brought  to 
the  earth's  surface,  give  us  a  clearer  knowledge  of  the  character  of  the  people  that  inhabited  that  nation  than  we 
have  gained  from  any  other  source.  *  *  *  It  is  a  work  of  great  importance,  and  will  be  welcomed  by  all 
scholars  and  antiquaries." 

Fro7n  the  N.   V.  Evening  Post. 

"  Mr.  Smith's  book  is  in  clearness  and  accuracy  all  that  could  be  wished  ;  himself  a  great  authority  on 
Assyrian  antiquities,  he  has  prepared  a  work  which  no  person  who  has  studied  or  intends  to  study  this  fascinating 
subject  should  fail  to  read." 

Frorti  the   Cincinnati    Commercial. 

"  It  is  in  the  hope  that  these  rich,  first  fruits  of  investigation  will  stimulate  inquiry,  and  .'induce  the  British 
Government  to  take  hold  of  the  matter,  and  bring  its  influence  to  bear  in  such  a  manner  upon  the  Ottoman,  as  to 
secure  its  cooperation  in  prosecuting  a  thorough  system  of  investigation,  that  we  close  Mr.  Smith's  absorbingly 
interesting  book." 

From  the   Watchman  and  Reflector. 

"His  book  is  a  simple,  straightforward  record  of  what  he  accomplished,  written  not  to  catch  the  applause  of 
thrt  ignorant,  but  to  inform  the  wise  and  the  thoughtful.  The  narrative  of  personal  experience  is  interesting,  with- 
out trace  of  straining  for  sensational  effect.  But  the  chief  value  of  the  work  is  for  its  account  of  things  accom 
plishcd." 

Will  be  sent,  prepaid,   upon  receipt  of  price,  by 

SCRIBNER,  ARMSTRONG  &  CO., 

743  &  745  Broadway,  New  York. 


LECTURES  ON  the  SCIENCE  of  LANGUAGE. 

By  F.   Max  Muller,   M.A.,  Fellow  of  All  Souls  College,  Oxford. 
First  Series  :— Comprising  those  delivered  in  April,  May,  and  June,  iS6i.     One  vol. 

crown  8vo,  half  calf,  $4.50;  cloth, $2.  Co 

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With  thirty-one  illustrations.     One  vol.,  crown  8vo,  half  calf,  $5.50;  cloth,    '$3.50 

From  the  Atlantic  Montkly. 
"Easily  comprehensible,  and  yet  always  pointing  out  the  sources  of  fuller  investigation,  it  is  ample, 
both  to  satisfy  the  desire  of  those  who  wish  to  get  the  latest  results  of  philosophy,  and  to  stimulate  the  curi- 
osity of  whoever  wishes  to  go  further  and  deeper.  It  is  by  far  the  best  and  clearest  summing  up  of  the  present 
condition  of  the  science  of  language  that  we  have  ever  seen,  while  the  liveliness  of  style  and  the  variety 
and  freshness  of  illustration  make  it  exceedingly  interesting." 


CHIPS  FROM  A  GERMAN  WORKSHOP. 

By  F.  Max  Muller,  M.A.,  Fellow  of  All  Souls  College,  Oxford.  Reprinted  from  the 
Second  Revised  London  Edition,  with  copious  Index.  Vol.  I.  Essays  on  the 
Science  of  Religion.  Vol.  II.  Essays  on  Mythology,  Traditions,  and 
Customs.  Vol.  III.  Literature,  Biography,  and  Antiquities.  IV.  Mis- 
cellaneous. Four  vols.,  crown  8vo,  clolh,  per  vol.,  $2.50;  the  set  in  half 
calf, $iS.oo 

From   the  Neiv    York   F.vetiing  Post. 

"The  reader  will  find  in  these  volumes  a  body  of  combined  entertainment  and  instruction  such  as  has 
hardly  ever  been  brought  together  in  so  comiiact  a  form."' 


LECTURES  ON  the  SCIENCE  of  RELIGION. 

WITH  PAPERS  ON  BUDDHISM,  AND  A  TRANSLATION  OF  THE  DHAM- 
MAPADA,  or  PATH  OF  VIRTUE.  By  F.  Max  Muller,  M. A.  One  vol., 
crown  8vo,  half  calf,  $4.50;  cloth, $2.00 

From  the  Chicago   Evetiing  yournal. 
"The  thoroughness  of  its  method,  the  vigor  and  clearness  of  its  discussions,  and  the  extensive  learning 
wrought  into  the  text  of  the  work,  give  it  the  high  character  which  commands  for  such  a  production  the  rank 
\nd  authority  of  a  standard." 


P 


N      A/LlSSIONS 


A  LECTURE  DELIVERED  IN  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY,  on  Dec.  3,  1873,  by 
F.  Max  Muller,  M.  A.  With  an  Introductory  Sermon  by  Arthur  Penrhyn 
Stanley,    D.D.,   Dean  of  Westminster.     One  vol.,  i2mo,  cloth,      .         .         $1.00 


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